6 Creamy Pasta Recipes You'll Adore

by HexClad Cookware

One Pot Ricotta Pasta with Corn, Lemon, & Basil

We love a good noodle as much as the next person. Whether it’s a vegetarian Bolognese coating strands of spaghetti or ramen topped with chicken katsu, it’s hard to noodle wrong.

But when sweater weather hits, one style of pasta rises above the rest, and that’s the one that prioritizes creaminess. We’re talking silky, we’re talking saucy, we’re talking cozy AF. These six pasta recipes are creamy to the max, from vodka sauce that takes its cues from a viral TikTok trend–to good effect, worry not–to German-style homemade egg noodles.

1. Creamy Kale and Ricotta Pasta

Kale bumps parsley to the side in the classic Italian sauce. To make the kale pesto, quickly blanch the leaves in boiling water to mellow their earthy taste and make them extra pliable. Pulsed with oil and salt and pepper, the result is a silky pesto that clings to the curls of fusilli (or any pasta shape you like) along with a generous shower of Parmesan. An extra level of creaminess in this five-ingredient stunner comes from a surprising place: You pile the fusilli on a Parmesan-ricotta schmear that takes the concept of creamy pastas up a notch.

Get the recipe for Creamy Kale and Ricotta Pasta.

2. Creamy Skillet Gnocchi with Chicken and Artichokes

In case you’re wondering whether gnocchi counts as a type of pasta, the answer is absolutely yes. This double-carb Italian wonder combines cooked potatoes and flour to result in a chewy, dumpling-like texture. Here, it's paired with seared chicken breasts, kale, caramelized shallots, artichoke hearts and a garlicky cream sauce. If you prefer another type of pasta to gnocchi, add al dente pasta (cooked one or two minutes less than the package time) along with cooked, sliced chicken.

Get the recipe for Creamy Skillet Gnocchi with Chicken and Artichokes.

3. One-Pot Ricotta Pasta with Corn, Lemon & Basil

Sure, a bag of pasta boiled and tossed with store-bought sauce counts as "one-pot pasta," but this recipe proves that a single pot can do so much more. Start by cooking shallots and garlic to build flavor in your 5.5 Qt Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan before adding water and cavatappi to boil in the same pot. The key here is to make sure to keep stirring, otherwise the pasta will stick together. All that’s left to do once the liquid is absorbed is add in ricotta, Parmesan, basil and lemon. If you’re cooking it in the winter, swap the corn and basil for cubes of roasted pumpkin and butter-fried sage leaves or sautéed sausage and small roast cauliflower florets.

Get the recipe for One-Pot Ricotta Pasta with Corn, Lemon & Basil.

4. Cheesy Spätzle Casserole

If you’ve ever celebrated Oktoberfest, then you’ve probably enjoyed a scoop of spätzle egg noodles, a simple homemade pasta that is perfect served alongside sausages, roast chicken or schnitzel. Our rendition contains two whole cups of strong, Alpine cheeses–like Gruyère or Appenzeller–and is garnished with a glorious pile of fried onions.

Get the recipe for Cheesy Spätzle Casserole.

5. Cottage Cheese Vodka Pasta

If you can wrap your head around vodka in your pasta sauce, there should be no resistance to blending a pound of cottage cheese in, too. Here, Jake Cohen’s riff on vodka sauce comes together quickly and coats long, ribbon-like mafaldine noodles. Pro tip: Scooping out and saving some pasta water before draining the noodles helps make the silkiest sauce.

Get the recipe for Cottage Cheese Vodka Pasta.

6. The Ultimate Lasagna

A great lasagna offers an ideal blend of creamy and meaty, and our ultimate version is no slouch. After making béchamel and ragù from scratch, layer them between sheets of lasagna noodles. Craving the taste of lasagna but not the form? Toss your favorite shape with the ragù and drizzle it with some béchamel.