Mafaldine Pasta with Creamy Napoletana Sauce
Ready in 20 minutes, this creamy Napoletana mafaldine pasta is the perfect quick weeknight dinner. Classic recipe, pro tips included.
Dinner can be on the table in just 20 minutes with this creamy mafaldine pasta with Napoletana sauce. It's made with simple, everyday ingredients, and it tastes like a trip to Naples.
Traditional mafaldine pasta with tomato and ricotta cheese is a classic dish from Naples, Italy.
Families in the Campania region often make it for Sunday lunch or for special holidays, but honestly, it's easy enough for any weeknight!
What makes this dish special is the pasta itself. Mafaldine, also called mafalda, mafalde, or reginette, has ruffled, curly edges. Those curls grab onto the sauce, so every bite is packed with flavor.
The sauce is what Neapolitans call mafaldine alla Napoletana: a simple tomato sauce made creamy with fresh ricotta cheese. You only need tomatoes, onion, ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh basil. That's it.
If you love classic, no-fuss Italian pasta recipes, this one is about to become a regular in your dinner rotation.
It's simple enough for a weeknight, but pretty enough for guests!
Jump to:
What is mafalda pasta?
It looks a lot like tagliatelle or pappardelle, since all three are flat and wide. The difference is the edges. Mafaldine has ruffled, curly edges that scoop up sauce, while tagliatelle and pappardelle have smooth, straight sides.
That little detail matters more than you'd think. Because mafaldine has more surface area, it works best with a sauce that clings, like this creamy Napoletana sauce, a simple pomodoro sauce, or a light ragù.
Legend says the pasta was named after Princess Mafalda of Savoy, and its curly shape was meant to look like the ruffles on her dress.
True or not, it's a fun bit of history that makes this noodle even more charming.
Mafalda pasta recipe ingredients
This mafalde pasta with napoletana sauce is incredibly simple and calls for super basic ingredients.
To make the most of it, pick the best-quality ingredients you can!
Here's what you need to make this traditional mafaldine pasta recipe:
- Pasta: I use mafalda pasta, but spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, bucatini and fusilli all work well too.
- Tomatoes: I used Italian canned datterini tomatoes. Canned San Marzano tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are also perfect options. When they're in season, you can use fresh tomatoes too, here's how to make tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes.
- Ricotta: Fresh homemade ricotta or high-quality store-bought ricotta cheese. If you can find it, use buffalo ricotta cheese, it tastes incredible.
- Onion: Adds sweetness to the sauce, you can replace it with a garlic clove or use both.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Always use high-quality olive oil, which adds sucha deep and amazing flavor to the sauce.
- Basil: Fresh basil is a key ingredient, don't replace them with dried basil.
Additional ingredients:
This simple recipe is incredibly tasty and flavorful as it is, but if you like, you can add some extra ingredients:
- Black or green olives: pitted olives add a nice layer of flavor.
- Red pepper flakes: add a spicy kick to your pomodoro sauce with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Where to buy mafaldine pasta (and what to use instead)
Mafaldine pasta is easier to find than it used to be. Check the international or pasta aisle at well-stocked grocery stores, or look for it at Italian specialty shops.
Brands like Barilla, De Cecco, Anna, and Rustichella d'Abruzzo all make a version of mafaldine, mafalda, or reginette, so check the package if you're not sure which name your store uses.
Can't find it? No problem. Pappardelle and tagliatelle are the closest substitutes in shape and size, and fettuccine works in a pinch too.
The sauce will taste just as good; you'll just lose those ruffled edges that make mafaldine fun to eat.
How to make mafaldine with napoletana sauce
The best part about this quick mafaldine pasta recipe is that it comes together in just 20 minutes, and it's genuinely easy to make.
Here's the step-by-step with tips.
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full printable recipe card.
- Heat the olive oil and onion in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon. Add basil leaves, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes.
- In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water add the mafalda pasta and cook according to the package directions. For al dente pasta, drain it 2-3 minutes before the suggested cooking time.
- Mix the pasta with the tomato sauce, add in the ricotta, drizzle with additional olive oil, and serve.
Cooking tip: I like to cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds before use. Tomato seeds might add bitterness to the sauce.
Tips for perfect mafaldine noodles, every time
- Stir often. Mafaldine's curly edges love to stick together or to the bottom of the pot while cooking. Give the pasta a stir every minute or two.
- Salt your water well. Since mafaldine is wide and ruffled, it needs well-salted water to season properly all the way through.
- Don't skip the pasta water. The starchy water helps the ricotta melt into a smooth, creamy sauce instead of clumping.
- Finish cooking in the sauce. Tossing the pasta in the pan with the sauce for the last minute helps the ruffles fully soak up the flavor.
Sauce variations & what to serve with it
Napoletana sauce is the classic pairing here, but mafaldine's ruffled edges work beautifully with other sauces too.
Try it with a simple pistachio pesto, a light mushroom cream sauce, or even a ricotta lemon sauce. Just remember: the thicker or chunkier the sauce, the better it clings to those curly edges.
Looking for the perfect meal around it? A simple green salad with lemon dressing, garlicky sautéed greens, or crusty bread for soaking up extra sauce.
If you're serving this for a dinner party, a light, high-acid red wine like Chianti or a crisp white like Falanghina (a Campania native) pairs beautifully with the tomato and ricotta.
Storage and freezing tips
Store leftover mafaldine noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
The ricotta makes this dish best enjoyed fresh, so I don't recommend freezing it once it's assembled, the texture of the ricotta can turn grainy after thawing.
If you want to meal-prep, freeze just the tomato sauce (without the ricotta) in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw it in the fridge overnight, warm it on the stove, then stir in fresh ricotta and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
Recipe FAQs
Mafaldine's ruffled edges make it great for holding onto thick or creamy sauces, like this Napoletana sauce, a hearty ragù, or a chunky vegetable sauce.
Fresh tomatoes have a lower acid than canned tomatoes, so if you use the latter and the tomato sauce is a bit acidic, simply add a bay leaf whilst it cooks, or a pinch of sugar.
Cook it in a large pot of well-salted, rapidly boiling water, and stir often so the ruffled edges don't stick together. Drain it 2-3 minutes before the package time for perfect al dente texture, then finish it in the sauce.
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Recipe
Mafaldine Pasta with Creamy Napoletana Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely minced
- 2 cans whole plum tomatoes (15oz/400gr each) , or canned datterini tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 17 oz mafalda pasta
- 8.8 oz ricotta cheese, approx 1 US cup
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and onion in a skillet over medium-low heat, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with their juice and gently crush them with a wooden spoon. Season with 5-6 basil leaves, cover, and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce is ready when it’s creamy yet slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, add the mafalda pasta and cook according to the package directions. For al dente pasta, drain it 2-3 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Reserve 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water.
- Remove the tomato sauce from the heat, and add in the remaining fresh basil leaves. Drain the ricotta and add it to the sauce, add 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water and mix through, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in the mafaldine pasta, mix all the ingredients, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in May 2023 and updated in August 2026.
Getting ready to make. Bought dried Mafalde pasta a while back. I see you don’t have salt listed , which I will guess on unless you have specifics…