A shared table of pasta dishes in warm evening light

South Africa’s dedicated pasta guide

What are you
cooking tonight?

Popular tonightChicken pastaUnder 30 minutesPasta bakes
01

Practical local cooking.
Italian knowledge, properly told.

One platform, two promises.

Dinner that works
in your kitchen.

+

Pasta tradition
worth trusting.

01 / New in the kitchen

Fresh reasons
to boil the water.

Local ingredients, realistic timings and enough technique to make the recipe work the first time.

Penne pasta bake with sliced boerewors tomato peppers and golden Cheddar↗
South African winter table

Boerewors Pasta Bake

Browned boerewors, peppers and penne bake in a reduced tomato sauce beneath a mature Cheddar crust.

55 minEasyServes 6
Golden penne pasta bake with broccoli mature Cheddar sauce and mustard crumbs↗
Vegetable-forward family bake

Broccoli Cheese Pasta Bake

Broccoli and penne bake in a smooth mature Cheddar sauce under a crisp mustard crumb.

50 minEasyServes 6
Farfalle salad with kidney beans cannellini beans green beans peppers and herbs↗
Substantial pantry braai side

Three-Bean Pasta Salad

Farfalle, three beans, peppers and herbs make a bright, filling salad with a mustard vinaigrette.

30 minEasyServes 8
Browse all 120 recipes →
02 / Dinner finder

Tell us what is in the kitchen.

Choose ingredients, time and the kind of dinner you need. The finder matches real recipes and admits when there is no exact answer.

What can I cook tonight? →
ChickenTomato30 minutesOne potBudgetVegetarian
03 / Authentic Italy

Learn the classics.
Respect the details.

Traditional ingredients, regions and techniques come first. Realistic South African alternatives are explained separately.

Explore twelve Italian regions →
Glossy spaghetti carbonara with guanciale and black pepper in a dark ceramic bowl
FromLazioRome, Italy
04 / Pasta School

Small techniques.
Remarkably better pasta.

01Measure pasta portionsPractical guide02Make pasta water workTechnique03Reheat pasta properlyStorage guide
New / Sauce Rescue

Fix the pasta
in front of you.

Watery sauce, clumped cheese, broken cream and eight more practical rescue guides.

Diagnose a problem →New / Compare

Know what changes
when you swap.

Direct comparisons for pasta shapes, cheeses, cured pork and tomato products.

Compare ingredients →
05 / The pasta knowledge platform

Go deeper than
tonight’s recipe.

Four connected authority guides turn one cooking question into a useful trail.

01

Sauces

Italian references and South African kitchen favourites.

Explore →02

Cook properly

The complete method, from pot to final toss.

Explore →03

True history

Evidence, uncertainty and the stories that survive neither.

Explore →04

Free tools

Portions, timing, pairings, conversions and exploration.

Explore →
100 gper adult75 gper child
06 / Kitchen tools

How much pasta
do you actually need?

Scale dried pasta, sauce and water for the people at your table. No mountain of accidental leftovers.

Open the portion calculator →

THE FIRST EDITION

The PastaRecipes.co.za
Essential Pasta Book

An A4-ready digital companion for South African kitchens, with Italian classics, local favourites and the techniques behind both.

Preview the cookbook →
PastaRecipes.co.za Essential Pasta Book cover