Endless Pastabilities

October 2026 Issue

by Lindsay Gifford
Information, Recipes and Photography provided by Barilla®

Cooler evenings call for comfort food, and few dishes feel more inviting than a delicious bowl of pasta. October is National Pasta Month, making it the perfect occasion to pull out your favorite pasta pot and bring fresh inspiration to the dinner table. To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with Barilla to bring you recipes for moments worth gathering around—from a weeknight family dinner to a leisurely Sunday supper watching the game.

The classic navy-blue Barilla pasta box is a staple in pantries around the world—and with nearly 150 years of pasta-making tradition, Barilla knows a thing or two about doing pasta right. From an extensive selection of pasta shapes to premium sauces and pesto, the family-owned Italian company stays rooted in its heritage while continuing to bring quality and flavor to the table.

Barilla offers something for just about every pasta lover, from trusted favorites like Barilla Classic to its Protein+ line and gluten-free options. For elevating the everyday, the Al Bronzo line pays homage to traditional pasta-making techniques with bronze-cut pasta designed to hold onto sauce and deliver more flavor in every bite. And when convenience is key, Barilla’s jarred sauces and pesto make it easy to get dinner on the table faster—while adding a delicious Italian-inspired twist to everything from pasta and pizza to sandwiches, proteins and vegetables.

For Barilla, food has always been about more than nourishment. It’s about love, connection and tradition. It’s Nonna’s secret Sunday gravy, a family favorite everyone requests, or a weeknight staple your family looks forward to every Tuesday. Because every good meal tells a story—and some of the best stories happen around the table.

So, whether you’re ready to get playful with your pasta, add a punch of pesto or simply try something new, these recipes are sure to inspire your next gathering. Grab a fork, pass the Parmesan and dig in. And when you’re hungry for even more inspiration, visit Barilla.com for more delicious recipes and plenty of pastabilities.

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Stuffed Butternut Squash
S

Al Bronzo® Spaghetti
with Grass-Fed Beef Meatballs

Time: 45 mins | Servings: 8

4 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pkg Barilla® Al Bronzo® Spaghetti pasta
1 cup Yellow onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, chopped, divided
1¼ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, divided
3 slices white bread, no crust, diced
1 lb grass-fed Beef 90/10
1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
12 leaves of Basil, sliced
Salt and black pepper, to taste

In a sauce pan, gently sauté onion with olive oil for 5 minutes, add 1 clove of chopped garlic, keep sautéing; one minute later add crushed tomatoes. Add one cup of water, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, soak bread in water. In a bowl combine meat, ¾ cup cheese, parsley, 1 clove of chopped garlic, soaked bread (squeeze out excess water). Shape 1-inch size meatballs. Add meatballs to tomato sauce, simmer until thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and toss with meatball sauce. Finish with basil, remaining cheese and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

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Heirloom Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese & Rustic Basil Pesto Pizza

Time: 25 mins | Servings: 6

3/4 Jar Barilla® Rustic Basil Pesto, divided
1 ready-made 12-inch Pizza crust
1 pint heirloom Cherry tomatoes, sliced into rounds
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
5 Basil leaves, sliced thin

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Place pizza crust onto a cookie sheet. Top with ½ jar of pesto and spread evenly. Gently place the tomatoes around the pizza, season with salt and pepper and top with cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until fully cooked and cheese is bubbling and melted. Remove pizza from the oven then drizzle with remaining pesto and garnish with basil.

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Al Bronzo® Mezzi Rigatoni Pasta
with Black Truffle Sauce & Italian Sausage

Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 8 servings

1 pkg Barilla® Al Bronzo® Mezzi
Rigatoni pasta
4 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 oz canned Black truffle, chopped
thin, reserve liquid
1 clove Garlic
½ lb. Italian sausage, crumbled
½ cup Chicken broth
½ cup Heavy cream
2 Tbsps Black truffle butter
½ cup Romano Cheese, Grated
2 Tbsps Parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste

]Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, gently simmer olive oil with garlic; add black truffle and sauté for two minutes then add sausage and brown over medium heat. Stir in broth, bring to a boil then add cream and season with black pepper, bring to boil. Drain pasta and combine with sauce and reserved liquid, finish with truffle butter and remove from heat. Add cheese and parsley before serving.

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Barilla® Rustic Basil Pesto Marinated Chicken

Time: 43 mins | Servings: 4

1 jar Barilla® Rustic Basil Pesto, divided
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup Lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts (about 1½ lbs)
1 medium Yellow squash, sliced into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 medium Zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 red Sweet pepper, cut into strips

In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of the pesto, the olive oil, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into a large zip-top plastic storage bag along with the chicken breasts; seal out excess air and turn bag to coat chicken breasts evenly. Marinade in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours. An hour before grilling, toss the squash, zucchini, and sweet pepper in ¼ cup of the pesto to coat evenly; let stand at room temperature 1 hour to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Grill chicken on the rack of a covered grill directly over medium heat 15 to 18 minutes or until done (165°F), turning and brushing with reserved marinade twice during grilling. Place pesto-coated vegetables in a grill basket and cook alongside the chicken during the last 8 minutes of grilling, stirring occasionally. Discard any remaining marinade. To serve, drizzle with remaining pesto.

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Pressed Pesto Picnic Sandwich

Time: 15 mins | Servings: 4

4 Tbsps Barilla® Creamy
Genovese Pesto, divided
1 loaf Artisanal bread,
cut into 3-inch pieces
1 large Tomato, sliced
1 bunch Basil
4 oz Salami, sliced thin
6 oz Prosciutto, sliced thin
4 oz Provolone cheese, sliced
4 oz Mozzarella cheese, sliced

On the bottom-half of each piece of bread, layer meats, then cheeses, followed by 1 or 2 slices of tomato. Cover the tomato slices with a small handful of basil leaves. Spread 1 Tablespoon pesto on the top half of each piece of bread and place it on top of basil leaves. Wrap the sandwiches with parchment paper and tie a piece of string around them.

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Barilla® Gouda Mac & Cheese

Time: 25 mins | Servings: 8

1 box Barilla® Elbows
5 Tbsps Butter
5 Tbsps Flour
5½ cups Milk
2½ cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Salt and white pepper, to taste

In a medium-sized saucepan melt butter over medium heat, making sure it does not turn brown. Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes. In a separate saucepan, add milk and bring to a simmer, making sure not to scorch the bottom of the pan. Whisk warm milk into butter/flour mixture. Whisk in cheese, then season the sauce with salt and pepper. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and toss with the sauce. Fold in cilantro.

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Baked Cheesy Protein+® Rigatoni Pasta

Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 7

1 Box Barilla® Protein+® Rigatoni pasta
2 jars Barilla® Marinara Sauce
5 Tbsps Butter
4 Tbsps Flour
3 cups Milk
½ tsp Nutmeg
2 tsps Kosher salt, divided
1 lb Mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs

For the Béchamel sauce: heat butter in a medium saucepan until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat until light golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat milk in a separate pan until it is about to boil. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until smooth and bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds and remove from heat. Season with nutmeg and salt then set aside.
Preheat oven to 425° F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta half the time indicated on the package directions. Drain pasta and return to pan. Add Marinara sauce, Béchamel sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano cheese to the pasta and mix well. Divide pasta and sauce mixture among six individual au gratin dishes. Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbling and crusty on top. Serve immediately.

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Barilla Italian 7-Layer Pesto Dip

Time: 45 mins | Servings: 8

1 jar Barilla® Rustic Basil Pesto sauce
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb Italian Sausage
1 lb whole-milk Ricotta cheese, drained well
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup Arugula
½ cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup baby Spinach
¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
¼ cup fresh Basil leaves
1 Baguette, sliced on the bias
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 whole grain Baguette, sliced on the bias
1 lb fresh whole-milk Mozzarella cheese, sliced and drained well
1 (8 oz) jar roasted Red peppers, chopped, and drained well
1 (12 oz) jar Artichoke hearts, chopped and drained well

Preheat oven to 425° F. Spray medium-sized baking dish/bowl with non-stick cooking spray. In a skillet over medium heat add 1 teaspoon olive oil and Italian sausage. Season and cook for 2-3 min. or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet add 1 teaspoon olive oil, arugula and spinach, wilt and set aside. In the same skillet add 1 teaspoon olive oil and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 min., add tomato sauce, and set aside. Assemble bowl with 7 layers. Sliced mozzarella, cherry tomatoes with Italian sausage, pesto, ricotta, roasted red peppers, arugula/spinach, and the final layer artichoke hearts/shredded mozzarella/Parmigiano. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then 5 additional minutes uncovered or until browned. Meanwhile, drizzle bread with remaining olive oil. Bake for 4-5 min. so bread and dip are finished at the same time. Garnish with basil leaves.

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Easy Pasta Salad with Barilla® Protein+® Stars Pasta

Time: 1 hr | Servings: 5

For the Dressing:
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup Red wine vinegar
2 tsps dried Italian seasoning
1 clove Garlic, Minced
½ tsp Sugar
¼ tsp freshly ground Black pepper
½ tsp Kosher salt

For the Pasta Salad:
¾ box Barilla® Protein+® Stars pasta
½ medium Red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
8 oz Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 small English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
4 oz mini Mozzarella balls (Perlini), drained, halved
4 oz Salami slices, cut into ½-inch-widestrips
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
¼ cup fresh Parsley leaves. coarsely chopped

For dressing: In a small bowl add olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper; whisk to combine. Add garlic and stir to combine. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

For pasta salad: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and spread on a sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, add pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, salami, olives, and parsley. Add the dressing and toss until evenly combined. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld before serving.

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Barilla® 5-Layer Oven-Ready Lasagne
Time: 1 hr 20 mins  |  Servings: 12

1 box Barilla® Oven-Ready Lasagne
2 jars Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb Lean ground beef or sausage, browned
1/2 cup White Wine (optional)
1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese
4 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and brown meat until cooked through; season with salt and pepper. If desired, add the wine (optional) and continue cooking until liquid has reduced by half, set aside.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, and Parmigiano cheese. Stir well. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour one cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish; spread evenly. Place 3 sheets of Barilla’s no-boil lasagna noodles side-by-side (sheets will expand while baking to the ends of the dish). Pour 1 cup of sauce and 3/4 cup of cheese mixture on the first layer. Top with ¼ cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup of the cooked meat. Repeat for 3 more layers. For the final layer, top with 3 lasagne sheets, add remaining sauce and top with cheese mixture and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes to brown the cheese. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.