10 Cheap Pasta Recipes for Dinner

Pasta is affordable and can be turned into many budget friendly dinner meals.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Spaghetti or Bucatini (Bronze-cut if available for better sauce adhesion)
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Cold-pressed for better peppery notes)
• 6 cloves Fresh Garlic (Sliced paper-thin to melt into the oil)
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (Adjust based on your heat tolerance)
• 1 cup Reserved Pasta Water (The starchy 'liquid gold')
• 1/2 cup Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (Freshly grated, never from a green can)
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste (Caramelized until deep maroon)
• 2 Anchovy Fillets (Optional, for deep umami base)
• 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley (Finely chopped for a hit of brightness)
• Kosher Salt (For the 'sea-like' boiling water)

Instructions

1. Boil a large pot of water until it reaches a vigorous roll, then add enough salt so it tastes like seawater. Drop the pasta and set a timer for 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
2. While the pasta boils, place the olive oil and sliced garlic in a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low and watch for the garlic to start sizzling gently and turning a pale golden straw color.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and anchovies (if using) to the oil. Stir and mash the anchovies with a wooden spoon until they dissolve completely into the fat.
4. Just before the pasta is done, scoop out 1.5 cups of the starchy water. Drain the pasta and immediately toss it into the skillet with the oil and aromatics.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in half of the reserved pasta water. Toss and stir vigorously for 2 minutes until the liquid reduces and forms a creamy, glossy coating on the noodles.
6. Remove from heat, wait 30 seconds for the temperature to drop slightly, then fold in the grated cheese and parsley. If it looks too dry, add a splash more pasta water until it reaches a silky consistency.