13 Recipes From the March 2021 Issue of Real Simple

Get the recipes from this month’s issue.

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Updated on September 24, 2022

The Beauty of Pasta at Your Fingertips

To me, pasta isn't just a satisfying, saucy bowl of noodles. I also think of comfort, love, heartbreak, exhaustion, and joy. In fact, pasta is the answer to most things in my life. Tired after a long flight (when those were a thing), I'd have pasta on the table soon after I walked through the door. On the brink of a breakup many moons ago, I'd whip up bowls of reconciliation pasta. But there is a special magic in fresh pasta, which goes beyond quick comfort: It's quality time with my grandma, watching her wrinkled hands shape the dough. It's falling in love with my boyfriend during the early days of quarantine, when there were no restaurant dates but nights at home filling silky pasta sheets with creamy ricotta.

As a food editor, I spend most of my days cooking in my tiny New York City kitchen. Even at the end of long days at the stove, I still yearn for the feeling of fresh pasta dough in my hands, for the meditative experience of rolling and shaping. Whether I'm immersing myself in the calmness and simplicity that is flour, eggs, and water, or I'm rallying my partner or family to join me on this sweet, playful journey, making pasta from scratch always brings me joy. You see, it has that power. I believe the best things are the things we make ourselves, with our own hands. Fresh pasta is at the top of the list.

Here, at your fingertips, is a guide for seamless results. Working with a machine or by hand, you can enjoy homemade pasta dressed up with fuss-free pantry sauces. — Ananda Eidelstein, senior food editor