Few things beat a big, hearty plate of pasta when the cold starts creeping in (except, perhaps, a bowl of soup or a bolstering slow cook). So, we’ve compiled 10 pasta recipes – essentially one for every week of winter – that tick all the boxes: they’re rich, loaded with carbs and usually a truckload of cheese. Some are easy to make, others are weekend projects. All are exactly what we want to eat when the temperature drops, from Yotam Ottolenghi’s mushroom lasagne, to the pork and chilli campanelle from Totti’s, and even an Italian-style “bubble and squeak” should you have any leftover pasta chewing up space in your fridge.
Totti’s campanelle with milk-braised pork and chilli
Rich and creamy thanks to milk-braised pork, and seasoned with the robust flavours of fennel and chilli, this pasta dish from Totti’s in Sydney has been a hit from day one. While this dish is hearty enough to stand up to whatever winter throws at us, it’s endlessly adaptable: you could throw in some smoky bacon, salami or prosciutto to up the depth of taste, or add extra flavour by adding parmesan rinds to the sauce while it’s cooking.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s earthy and spicy mushroom lasagne
Chef Yotam Ottolenghi says this lasagne is “complex, earthy and deeply umami”, thanks to the addition of dried porcini mushrooms. Essentially everything we want from a winter-warming pasta. And while lasagne can be a time-suck, elements of this one can be prepared ahead of time ready for dinner the next day.
Shannon Martinez’s tubetti with braised fennel, radicchio and chickpeas
Summer festivities might be over, but winter hangovers are still a thing. And one way to cure them is via this mega-tasty one-pot wonder, which is ready in less than 30 minutes (your body will thank you for the minimum effort required for this hangover-buster). Shannon Martinez, of Melbourne’s , came up with this dish while, yes, she was nursing a hangover herself and wanted protein and carbs to sort herself out. And even if a boozy night wasn’t part of last night’s playlist, this dish still bangs.
Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s three-cheese lasagne
While Shannon Martinez’s tubetti is a 30-minute prospect, Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s three-cheese lasagne is more weekend-project material. Ultra-comforting and ultra-cheesy (hello, parmesan, buffalo mozzarella and scamorza), it’s basically designed for the chilliest of winter nights. If you want to make things a little easier on yourself, swap out the homemade pasta for store-bought – we won’t judge.
Bistro George’s rigatoni alla gin
You’ve heard of vodka pasta – but how about gin pasta? It’s a signature at Sydney’s Jacksons on George – and it’s a tomato-y, creamy dish with a spike of fermented chilli that’ll spice up any winter evening. Make it even more out of the ordinary and swap out the gin for tequila, or go classic and throw in vodka instead.
Letitia Clark’s sausage lasagne with ricotta, pecorino and fennel
Yes, lasagne can be a lengthy process – but not this one, by food writer and chef Letitia Clark, which uses a “cheat’s bechamel” to cut out a bunch of prep time. The rich sausage base is also a little quicker to make than a traditional ragout, and loaded up with garlic and fennel to add depth a richness. It’ll be on the table in less than two hours, making it ideal for winter weeknights spent indoors.
Gewurzhaus’s German mac’n’cheese
Just because it’s pasta doesn’t mean it has to be Italian. Maria and Eva Konecsny, founders of spice retailer Gewurzhaus, use German noodles – spaetzle – in their fancy take on mac’n’cheese. Though it’s got a few more ingredients and takes a little longer to prep than your typical mac’n’cheese, it’s absolutely worth it for the final result: a textural melding of the noodles, crispy onion and lashings of cheese.
Silvia Colloca’s frittata di spaghetti
Presenter and cookbook author Silvia Colloca calls this dish the “Neapolitan bubble and squeak” – and, like the British classic, it’s all about using up leftovers from last night’s dinner. This frittata di spaghetti can be made with whatever spaghetti-based pasta you like (other pasta shapes like rigatoni, penne and fusilli already have their next-day meal in the shape of pasta bakes), and works with sauces including tomato, ragu, puttanesca, carbonara. The end result is like an extra-carby frittata: golden and crispy, perfect winter night fodder.
A Tavola’s pappardelle con ragu
Winter and ragu go together like pasta and meat: they’re perfect bedfellows, always a good idea. Here, pork and chicken mince are cooked down with red wine, herbs and spices for two hours. The final flourish is tossing it with pappardelle and counting down the days till you can make this ultimate winter warmer once again.
Osteria Oggi’s casarecce with scorched leek, radicchio and squacquerone cheese
You’ve gone trad with the ragu – now go next-gen with Osteria Oggi’s sour, salty and bitter casarecce. The unexpected flavour profile comes courtesy of scorched leek, radicchio and squacquerone, a soft and creamy Italian cheese with a slight tang. Hazelnuts bring the texture – and the measurements for this dish are enough for one, making it ideal for midweek winter evenings. (Naturally, it can be scaled up for larger groups.)
