Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Pasta and Grains 12 Angel Hair Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of This Quick-Cooking Noodle The delicate pasta twirls beautifully around a fork—and readily absorbs sauces. By Laura Manzano Laura Manzano Laura Manzano is a writer, food stylist, and recipe developer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her favorite food? All sandwiches. Editorial Guidelines Published on August 1, 2023 Trending Videos Not to be confused with spaghetti, angel hair is a pasta shape with a profile of its own. Called "capellini" in Italy, angel hair has been a staple in Italian cuisine since its first appearance in the 14th century. Now beloved in many countries and by many cultures, the wonders of angel hair are many. Because of its thinness, it cooks quickly—sometimes in as little as two minutes. It's a delicate pasta, that's perfect for light sauces and even tastes great cold in the summertime. While angel hair is widely accessible and popular, it's also known for being a polarizing pasta type. Some compare it unfavorably to linguine, spaghetti, and bucatini—but angel hair dissenters are missing out on a pasta that twirls beautifully and easily around the tines of a fork. The thin strands absorb sauce like few other pastas can, and eating angel hair has a textured mouthfeel that is delightful and unique. Our favorite angel hair pasta recipes feature simple sauces and quick cooking times—they prove that it's the perfect noodle to cook all year long. Quick, Easy, and Delicious Pasta Recipes Ideal for Weeknight Dinners 01 of 12 Angel Hair Pasta With Black Truffles Dana Gallagher Take an already elegant shape to the next level with this simple black truffle sauce. The thin pasta really lets the flavors of the truffle shine—and the entire recipe comes together with just three ingredients. View Recipe 02 of 12 Capellini With Shrimp, Peppers, and Salami Using cured meats like salami in pasta dishes is an instant shortcut to tons of flavor. This angel hair pasta recipe calls for bell peppers for sweetness and pepperoncini for tang and bite. View Recipe 03 of 12 Lettuce Bundles With Spicy Peanut Noodles Vermicelli or soba noodles are typical for a cold, peanutty salad enclosed in a lettuce bundle, but angel hair is a fantastic substitute that is found easily at any grocery store. Perfect for a summer party, lay out all the ingredients and allow your guests to make their own wraps. View Recipe 04 of 12 Chicken With Artichokes and Angel Hair This recipe leans on pantry staples and chicken to create a comforting dish that derives slightly from picatta. No need for tedious artichoke prep here—jarred artichokes are a convenient and delicious alternative. View Recipe 05 of 12 Rice Pilaf With Vermicelli For this recipe, don't be concerned if some of your angel hair has broken in the package. In fact, lean into it: Mixing broken angel hair with rice in this pilaf makes for a dynamic and interesting dish that emulates the boxed classic—and perfectly accompanies grilled fish, chicken, and so much more. View Recipe 06 of 12 Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Romulo Yanes This simple soup is even easier thanks to quick-cooking angel hair made directly in the broth. It's especially great for kids; the noodles are broken up into smaller pieces, making them easy to eat with a spoon. View Recipe 07 of 12 Pasta With Mint Pesto and Fava Although this recipe calls for mint, feel free to substitute other herbs you have on hand for a versatile pesto that will serve you well beyond angel hair. If fresh favas are hard to come by, check the freezer section for frozen ones—but lima beans or even peas work, too. To make this a heartier meal, add chicken or turkey meatballs; they add heft but still keep it light and fresh. View Recipe 08 of 12 Capellini With Chive Blossoms and Crème Fraîche This simple dish with elevated ingredients can be a showstopper in the springtime when chive blossoms are abundant. Crème fraîche is an extra luscious alternative to yogurt or sour cream, but either work in a pinch if crème fraîche is unavailable. View Recipe 09 of 12 Angel-Hair Pasta With Sauteed Oysters and Chorizo Inspired by flavors of Spain, this recipe combines sweet oysters with piquant chorizo and bacon for smokiness. Angel hair plays the role of fideos, and a bit of sherry and orange zest lend depth and dimension. View Recipe 10 of 12 Lemony Shrimp Scampi A quick-cooking pasta like angel hair deserves a quick-cooking protein. Enter: shrimp, which stars in this classic scampi recipe brightened with plenty of lemon and fresh herbs. View Recipe 11 of 12 Ina's Lemon Capellini With Caviar Plenty of good butter helps showcase the richness of this special occasion dish, which gives caviar a new home beyond just blinis and baked potatoes. Use the best caviar you can afford, but either way, your guests will be impressed at this simple but stunning presentation of a classic Ina Garten recipe. View Recipe 12 of 12 Pasta With Herbs Angel hair with fresh herbs and Parmesan makes a big impact on a tiny budget. Sometimes less is more—and this recipe definitely makes that case. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit