Summer Is Over, So Fall Back in Love with Rich Pasta

OK, let's face it. Summer's over, and those back-alley cookouts and flower garnishes are soon to be relegated to your long-term memory as the prospect of eating outside will, for many of us, become laughable for the next few months.

Sure that kind of sucks, but the arrival of fall also means that you can start eating nice big decadent bowls of pasta again—truly, one of the great pleasures in life—and not feeling bad, because winter is coming and you need to warm up and put some meat on those bones, right?

We've put together some of our favorite pasta recipes that are as easy to make as they are indulgent, and the perfect thing to come home to after a brisk autumn commute.

What better way to get renew your pasta embrace than with a Parmesan, butter, garlic, and angel hair pasta that takes just five minutes to make? That's less time than Kraft mac 'n' cheese and way more satisfying (although we would never hate on a solid bowl of mac).

You'll have plenty more time to spend indoors, so why not make your own noodles? These spinach garganelli are super easy to fold and provide the ideal delivery system for a rich, tomato-y, lamb Bolognese that's packed with Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano's fluffier, funkier cousin.

While we're on the topic of making your own noodles, probably the easiest sauce vessel to make in the entire pasta repertoire are gnocchi. These guys are doughy, fluffy, and covered in a decadent cream, prosciutto, Parmesan, raclette, and jalapeño sauce that will lift you out of any cold weather funk.

When all else fails, and memories of summer seem just too far away, you can always reach for that bottle of vodka in the freezer. No, not for a sad solo drinking session, but to lift this Italian-American classic from good to great (and taking a little swig while cooking never killed anyone… well, probably never killed anyone).

Winter is coming, and it ain't so bad, kids.