↗Lazio · Amatrice
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Tomato, guanciale and Pecorino cling to hollow bucatini in this focused central Italian classic.
Family Pasta Dinners
Browse practical chicken, mince, one-pot, vegetable and baked pasta recipes sized for South African family tables.
Family dinner means useful portions, manageable ingredients and a method that still works when the kitchen is noisy. This collection favours recipes serving four or more with clear storage and reheating advice.
59editorially reviewed recipes
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↗South African weeknight favourite
Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta
Golden chicken, properly browned mushrooms and a light mustard cream sauce for the family table.
↗South African family table
Cheesy Mince Pasta Bake
A dependable beef mince bake with a concentrated tomato sauce and a properly bronzed cheese crust.
↗South African-inspired
Peri-Peri Chicken Pasta
Smoky, bright peri-peri heat meets juicy chicken and a tomato-cream sauce — clearly local, proudly not traditional Italian.
↗Pantry-to-table classic
Tuna Pasta Bake
A creamy, lemony tuna bake with sweetcorn, peas and a crisp Cheddar crumb.
↗Meat-free South African favourite
Roast Butternut & Feta Pasta
Caramelised butternut, salty feta, sage and lemon make a generous vegetarian dinner without a heavy sauce.
↗Liguria · Genoa
Trofie al Pesto Genovese
Fresh basil pesto coats twisted trofie with potato and green beans in the Ligurian manner.
↗Emilia-Romagna · Bologna
Tagliatelle al Ragù
A slow beef and pork ragù served with broad egg tagliatelle, where the pasta matters as much as the sauce.
↗South African family favourite
Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta
Golden chicken and sweet roasted garlic meet a light Parmesan cream sauce that clings without becoming stodgy.
↗Green, creamy and practical
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Tender chicken, broccoli and penne share a mustard-Parmesan sauce with enough lemon to keep dinner lively.
↗Golden family tray
Chicken Pasta Bake
Chicken, spinach and penne bake in a tomato-cream sauce beneath a crisp Cheddar and breadcrumb top.
↗Fast basil dinner
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Juicy chicken, fusilli and blistered baby marrows meet basil pesto in a fresh, quick sauce.
↗One pot, honest method
One-Pot Tomato Chicken Pasta
Chicken, short pasta and tomatoes cook in one broad pot with peppers, oregano and a final spoon of yoghurt.
↗South African cupboard dinner
One-Pot Mince Macaroni
Browned beef mince, tomatoes and macaroni cook in one pot with Cheddar stirred through at the end.
↗A proper Sunday bake
Classic Beef Lasagne
Slow beef ragù, smooth béchamel and lasagne sheets bake into clean, generous layers with a bronzed top.
↗South African spiced comfort
Curried Mince Macaroni
Mild curry, beef mince, tomato and peas turn macaroni into a warming local family supper.
↗Stovetop cheese comfort
Creamy Macaroni Cheese
A smooth Cheddar sauce coats macaroni on the stove, with mustard and a crisp optional breadcrumb finish.
↗South African-inspired
Boerewors Tomato Pasta
Seared boerewors, peppers and tomato make a robust rigatoni sauce with familiar braai-spice warmth.
↗South African fusion
Chakalaka-Inspired Pasta
Chakalaka vegetables and penne meet in a spicy tomato sauce with beans for a cheerful, honest fusion dinner.
↗Mediterranean vegetable tray
Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bake
Roasted aubergine, courgette and peppers bake with rigatoni, tomato and a modest mozzarella crust.
↗Lombardy · Alpine buckwheat
Pizzoccheri della Valtellina
Buckwheat ribbons, potato, cabbage, butter and mountain cheese make a substantial pasta from the Valtellina valley.
↗Sardinia · saffron and sausage
Malloreddus alla Campidanese
Ridged Sardinian gnocchetti carry a tomato and fresh sausage ragù scented with saffron and finished with Pecorino.
↗Vegetarian family bake
Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake
Spinach and ricotta fill pasta shells under a bright tomato sauce and restrained mozzarella crust.
↗Bright family supper
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Golden chicken, lemon and Parmesan make a light glossy sauce that feels creamy without relying on a cup of cream.
↗Full-flavoured family pan
Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta
Chicken, crisp bacon and spinach share a mustard cream sauce whose salt is managed rather than guessed.
↗South African-inspired pantry pot
Cape Malay Curried Tuna Pasta
Warm curry spice, tuna, peas and a restrained fruit-chutney note turn pantry pasta into a clearly labelled local fusion.
↗Modern global favourite
Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta
A block of feta roasts among cherry tomatoes before folding into pasta, spinach and lemon for a simple modern bake.
↗Modern one-pan sauce
Sausage and Spinach Pasta
Fresh sausage, fennel seed and spinach make a tomato-light rigatoni sauce with plenty of browned edges.
↗Modern family vegetable bake
Butternut Macaroni Cheese
Roasted butternut folds into a mustard Cheddar sauce, adding colour and sweetness without pretending to replace the cheese.
↗Emilia-Romagna · Traditional bake
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Green pasta sheets, slow ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano form restrained, distinct layers in Bologna's celebrated baked pasta.
↗Campania · Baked gnocchi
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Potato gnocchi, tomato, basil, fiordilatte and Parmigiano bubble in a shallow dish until the cheese just bronzes.
↗Sicily · Palermo classic
Pasta con Broccoli Arriminati
Cauliflower, saffron, anchovy, raisins and pine nuts create Palermo's sweet-savoury sauce for bucatini.
↗Lazio · Roman trattoria pasta
Pasta alla Zozzona
Sausage, guanciale, tomato, egg yolk and Pecorino combine in a deliberately abundant Roman rigatoni.
↗Campania · Naples onion ragù
Ziti alla Genovese
Beef and a remarkable quantity of onion cook down into Naples' amber, tomato-light Genovese sauce for broken ziti.
↗Family skillet pasta
Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Golden chicken, sun-dried tomato, spinach and a light cream sauce make a savoury dinner without repeating the mushroom-pasta brief.
↗South African family dinner
Chicken and Butternut Pasta
Roasted butternut, chicken, sage and feta make a substantial local pasta with sweetness, salt and crisp edges.
↗South African comfort food
Biltong Mac and Cheese
Mature Cheddar sauce, mustard, biltong and a crisp crumb turn macaroni cheese into a distinctly local bake without cooking the biltong tough.
↗South African skillet supper
Boerewors and Butternut Pasta
Browned boerewors, roast butternut, tomato and coriander seed make a generous bow-tie pasta with unmistakably local character.
↗South African-inspired fusion
Bobotie-Inspired Pasta Bake
Curried mince, apricot, turmeric custard and macaroni borrow bobotie's flavour logic for an honestly labelled pasta bake.
↗South African seafood bake
Smoked Snoek Pasta Bake
Smoked snoek, leeks, peas, lemon and a light Cheddar sauce make a family bake with careful salt and bone guidance.
↗Vegetarian family bake
Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
Aubergine, peppers, baby marrow and spinach form distinct layers with tomato, béchamel and modest mozzarella.
↗Real one-pot family dinner
One-Pot Sausage Tomato Pasta
Browned sausage, peppers, tomato and penne cook in one pot with a measured liquid range and no hidden frying pan.
↗Family tomato bake
Sausage Pasta Bake
Browned sausage, fennel, tomato and rigatoni bake under a modest mozzarella top with plenty of savoury edges.
↗Budget vegetarian bake
Tomato and Cheese Pasta Bake
Reduced tomato sauce, penne, mature Cheddar and crisp oregano crumbs make a straightforward bake that is generous without cream.
↗Creamy weeknight favourite
Chicken Alfredo-Style Pasta
Golden chicken and fettuccine in a glossy Parmesan cream sauce, with enough pasta water to keep every ribbon supple.
↗Warm chilli, sweet peppers
Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers
Seared chicken, red and yellow peppers and rigatoni in a lively tomato-chilli sauce whose heat is easy to control.
↗Thirty-minute tomato dinner
Quick Chicken Tomato Pasta
Penne, golden chicken and cherry tomatoes come together in a fresh basil sauce without the liquid compromises of one-pot pasta.
↗A proper second-night dinner
Leftover Chicken Pasta Bake
Shredded roast chicken, fusilli and peas bake beneath a crisp Cheddar crumb in a light tomato-cream sauce.
↗No-tomato family supper
Creamy Beef Mince Pasta
Browned beef mince, mushrooms and fusilli in a savoury mustard cream sauce that stays light enough to cling.
↗Straightforward family classic
Tomato Mince Spaghetti
A properly browned beef mince and tomato sauce for spaghetti, ready sooner than ragù and more focused than a one-pot macaroni.
↗Family bake with real texture
Beef Meatball Pasta Bake
Small browned beef meatballs, rigatoni and concentrated tomato sauce bake beneath a bronzed mozzarella top.
↗Filled family bake
Mince-Stuffed Pasta Shells
Large pasta shells hold browned mince, ricotta and spinach over tomato sauce, with enough mozzarella to gratinate rather than bury them.
↗South African white-fish supper
Hake Pasta Bake
Flaky hake, leeks, peas and shell pasta bake in a mustard sauce beneath a crisp herb crumb.
↗South African winter table
Boerewors Pasta Bake
Browned boerewors, peppers and penne bake in a reduced tomato sauce beneath a mature Cheddar crust.
↗Savoury no-tomato supper
Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
Browned sausage, mushrooms and rigatoni in a mustard cream sauce sharpened with lemon and black pepper.
↗Quick tomato skillet
Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Orecchiette catches browned sausage and sweet pepper in a brisk tomato sauce finished with parsley.
↗Soft cheese, bright tomato
Tomato and Ricotta Pasta
Concentrated tomato sauce and creamy ricotta coat rigatoni without turning the pan heavy or uniformly pink.
↗Vegetable-forward family bake
Broccoli Cheese Pasta Bake
Broccoli and penne bake in a smooth mature Cheddar sauce under a crisp mustard crumb.
↗Emilia-Romagna · Sausage pasta
Gramigna alla Salsiccia
Curled gramigna and fresh sausage meet in a restrained cream and tomato sauce from Emilia-Romagna.
Cook with context