49 Super Comforting Noodle Recipes From All Around The World (2024)

This spicy seafood pasta is loaded with shrimp, scallops, and clams, but you could always use whatever fresh or frozen fish and shellfish you can get your hands on like calamari, mussels, lobster, etc...

Recipe: Seafood Fra Diavolo

Just as good as take-out, this Thai classic can be whipped up in about 30 minutes flat.

Recipe: Pad Kee Mao (Thai Drunken Noodles)

Lots of Bolognese sauce recipes require hours and hours of slow cooking, but this one takes about half an hour, making it totally realistic for busy weeknights.

Recipe: Easy Bolognese

Think of spaetzle as the German take on mac 'n' cheese, which is made of tiny little egg noodles coated in an Emmental cheese and cream sauce.

Recipe: Cheese Spaetzle

Nutty, spicy, and savory, dan dan noodles are a Sichuan classic you should be making in your own kitchen. These noodles are topped with ground pork or beef and tossed in a sauce made of Chinese sesame paste, Sichuan peppers, black rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil.

Recipe: Dan Dan Noodles

Sort of like the eastern European version of Bolognese, this quick stroganoff recipe calls for egg noodles cooked in a savory ground beef gravy.

Recipe: Ground Beef Stroganoff

Keep a bag of store bought tortellini on hand to instantly transform any average weeknight dinner into something that tastes restaurant-quality.

Recipe: Creamy Sausage Tortellini

In the kingdom of pasta sauces, vodka sauce reigns king. This easy, super silky, and totally decadent version comes together in about 20 minutes with just a few simple ingredients: tomato paste, vodka, cream, and onions.

Recipe: Penne Alla Vodka

This Middle Eastern soup gets its name from reshteh, enriched flour noodles that are starchier than your typical pasta. This recipe uses udon noodles instead, which tend to be easier to find. They're served in an herb-packed broth with chickpeas, beans, and spinach.

Recipe: Ash-Reshteh (Persian Noodle Soup)

Be warned: once you make mac 'n' cheese from scratch you'll never ever go back to the boxed stuff.

Recipe: Skillet Mac 'n' Cheese

It may sound totally fancy, but linguine with clams in white clam sauce is incredibly budget-friendly. Start with small clams in their shells like Littlenecks or co*ckles, and from there you only need a handful of simple ingredients to toss it all together.

Recipe: Linguine con Vongole

This Thai-inspired recipe happens to be dairy-free, but thanks to a mixture of coconut milk, red Thai curry paste, and vegetable broth, it's still seriously creamy.

Recipe: Thai Red Curry Noodles

The Greek take on baked ziti, this cozy dish is made up of layered pasta, ground beef or lamb, creamy béchamel sauce, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe: Pastit*io Bake

This affordable and comforting dish is made with shrimp, which are are coated in spicy Cajun seasoning and tossed in a creamy pasta that takes just a few minutes to whip up.

Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Try to get your hands on fresh yakisoba noodles, which are available at most Asian grocery stores. And feel free to get creative with whatever veggies and proteins you stir-fry.

Recipe: Chicken Yakisoba

Italian and Mexican flavors collide in this ultimate comfort food dish. Try using a pasta like shells, elbow noodles, and penne that really sop up the cheesy meat sauce.

Recipe: Cheesy Taco Pasta

A quintessential comfort food in many Mexican kitchens, this Latin American take on noodle soup with shredded chicken and parsley in a broth of roasted tomato, onion, garlic, and jalapenos is the definition of cozy.

Recipe: Sopa de Fideo

Jollof, a dish popular throughout West Africa, is usually made with rice. This one-pot recipe, however, swaps the rice for spaghetti cooked in a tomato-based sauce with curry powder and thyme.

Recipe: Jollof Spaghetti

This recipe is 50% party dip, 50% cheesy baked pasta, and 100% mouthwateringly delicious.

Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

You can get this restaurant-style lo mein on the dinner table in about 20 minutes flat. It's filled with your favorite veggies and protein and tossed in a simple hoisin, soy, garlic, and ginger sauce.

Recipe: 15-Minute Chicken Stir Fry Noodles

Transport yourself to a Roman trattoria with this traditional Italian dish. The ingredients are basic and cheap, but the flavor is unequivocally decadent.

Recipe: Spaghetti Carbonara

The crucial ingredient in this fancy-tasting recipe is a layer of whipped ricotta, which you can make in about five seconds by pulsing store-bought ricotta in a food processor or blender until light and fluffy.

Recipe: Unstuffed Spicy Tomato Basil Shells With Whipped Ricotta

This Russian dumpling recipe takes a little bit of patience to make from scratch, but the end result is worth it. Or, if you're feeling lazy, pick up a bag of Trader Joe's frozen pelmeni.

Recipe: Russian-Style Ravioli (Pelmeni)

There are some dishes that never go out of style, like a classic beef and broccoli noodle stir fried in garlic sauce. Make a big batch and enjoy it throughout the week, since this Chinese-inspired dish tastes better and better the longer it sits in the fridge.

Recipe: Beef and Broccoli Noodles

This Japanese-Italian fusion recipe calls for thick, chewy udon noodles and bacon in an indulgent sauce made with egg yolks, cream, and Parmesan cheese.

Recipe: Weeknight Udon Carbonara

If you want to go all out, try making potato gnocchi from scratch. But if you're just trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry, any store-bought gnocchi will taste great.

Recipe: 20-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

Look for Korean glass noodles, which are actually made from sweet potato starch, in any major grocery store. They're a delicious texture and taste amazing stir-fried with veggies in a four-ingredient sauce.

Recipe: Korean Glass Noodle Stir-Fry (Japchae)

This Japanese noodle dish can be served hot or cold and jazzed up with your favorite protein from tofu to salmon.

Recipe: Sesame Soba Noodles

This Catalonian recipe is similar to paella, except instead of rice it's made with thin Spaghetti noodles, which are broken apart into small pieces.

Recipe: Catalan Fideua

Use whatever kind of noodles you like best to make this creamy, cozy meatball bake. The key element is the Swedish meatball gravy, which is made with beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, butter, and cream.

Recipe: Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake

Made with roasted eggplant in a bright and zesty tomato sauce, this vegetarian pasta recipe still tastes totally filling.

Recipe: Pasta Alla Norma