Note: If I put a little * next to a dish title, then that means it was one of my favorites in the list and one that I’d strongly recommend making.

Alabama-White Barbecue Chicken Carbonara*

Strips of chicken coated in smoked paprika laid on top of a bed of pasta and pancetta that’s tossed in a tangy white BBQ-style carbonara sauce.

Alaska-Crab Pasta with Salmon*

Sweet, tender king crab meat scattered in pasta and tomatoes, then topped with a crispy-skinned piece of Alaskan salmon.

Arizona-Southwestern Chicken Pasta Bake

A great way to use up leftover chicken. Tender chicken, beans, corn, and pasta tossed in a cheesy sauce then baked before being topped with tomatoes and green onions.

Arkansas-Possum Pie Ravioli

A seemingly unusual but delicious way to have pasta for dessert: Delicate ravioli stuffed with a cream cheese filling and then topped with melted ice cream, chocolate, and pecans.

California-Avocado Pasta Salad

The perfect summertime lunch: Tender pasta, cucumber, and tomatoes tossed in a creamy avocado dressing. Guaranteed to kick that pre-made pasta salad that only tastes like mayonnaise to the curb.

Colorado-Pasta with Lamb Ragu*

A gift from my home state: Hearty lamb and tomato ragu that is begging to be swirled with pasta and topped with Pecorino Romano.

Connecticut-Clam Pasta

A spin on a New England clam pizza: Tender clams on a bed of pasta that’s tossed with their own juices plus wine then finished with a crispy breadcrumb topping.

Delaware-Chicken and Flat Dumpling Pasta

Chicken and flat dumplings is one of the many wonders of the Northeast. This dish takes that comforting classic and puts a pasta-like spin on it.

Florida-Creamy Orange Shrimp Pasta

A spin on classic cream lemon shrimp pasta that features the floral flavor of Florida oranges with the addition of broccoli for some vegetation.

Georgia-Caramelized Peach Ravioli*

Another sweet pasta dish that is guaranteed smiles. Soft, sweet caramelized peaches served with sweet ricotta ravioli and finished with ice cream.

Hawaii-Coconut Pork alfredo

A lighter spin on pasta alfredo that you will not feel guilty about eating. Tender pulled pork and sweet corn suspended in a coconut milk-based alfredo sauce.

Idaho-Gnocchi

The most well known Italian potato-based pasta dish, but one that symbolizes the many things that are great about Idaho

Illinois-Carmy’s Spaghetti from The Bear*

The Bear is a Hulu sensation, even if you’re not a chef or food lover, and this take on the spaghetti pomodoro that was featured on the show should show you why.

Indiana-Crispy Pork Tenderloin Pasta

The Indiana breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is a simple classic that residents can’t get enough of, and this dish takes that concept and puts a spin on it in the style of pork parmesan.

Iowa-Creamy Corn Pasta

Plump pasta suspended in a creamy corn sauce then studded with even more corn, it’s a dish that’s hard to beat.

Kansas-Burnt End Brisket Mac and Cheese

What do you get when you combine Kansas City-style burnt ends with a creamy mac and cheese? Heaven.

Kentucky-Catfish Piccata

With all of the catfish swimming around in Kentucky waters, it only makes sense to turn it into a light, fragrant Piccata.

Louisiana-Bananas Foster Gnocchi*

Semi-dense, pillowy banana gnocchi (or bananocchi) swirled into a spiked caramel sauce. It might sound weird, but I promise that it’s delicious.

Maine-Lobster Pasta

There’s nothing that says Maine like lobster, and this simple lobster pasta involves chunks of the large sea cockroach that is then enhanced with a lobster cream sauce.

Maryland-Crab Ravioli with Vodka Sauce

Light, delicate squares of pasta loaded with crab and ricotta, then swirled into a vodka tomato sauce with some asparagus. It’s a dish that’s worth every penny.

Massachusetts-Clam Chowder Pasta*

Clam chowder is a Boston staple, and this dish replaces the classic chowder with potatoes for a lighter vibe.

Michigan-Pepperoni Lasagna Pinwheels

Ricotta cheese and pepperoni rolled up in sheets of pasta then served over a bed of tomato sauce.

Minnesota-Pasta with Walleye and Tomatoes

Walleye might not be a familiar fish to all, but up in the lakes of Minnesota, there seems to be more of it than people. This dish gives you a duo of walleye textures boosted by sweet tomatoes.

Mississippi-Soul Food Pasta Soup*

Pasta, bacon, collards, and black eyed peas suspended in a tasty minestrone-style broth that you might need to make all winter long.

Missouri-Bucatini Al’ Amatriciana

A very classic but delicious pasta dish, pasta swirled into a sauce made with guanciale, onions, and tomatoes.

Montana-Cherry Sundae Pasta

Sweet, jammy cherries tossed with fresh pasta, then topped with toasted almonds and ice cream. Just another excuse to have pasta for dessert.

Nebraska-Reuben Mac and Cheese*

The Reuben is my favorite sandwich in the world that isn’t a burger, and this unique mac and cheese hits all the right spots there. Swiss cheese sauce wrapped around pasta, corned beef, sauerkraut, and finished with a crunchy rye bread topping.

Nevada-Eggs Benedict Carbonara

Love eggs benedict? Love pasta carbonara? Then this dish is for you. In this case, the pasta is swirled into the carbonara sauce for a hollandaise-like creaminess then topped with a poached egg and crisp guanciale.

New Hampshire-Cider Braised Pork with Pasta*

While not necessarily a pasta dish, it does feature tender braised pork belly loaded with apple flavor. It then has pasta swirled into the pork’s braising liquid then topped with bacon.

New Jersey-Sausage and Peppers Pasta

A true classic: flavorful Italian sausage and bell peppers stewed with tomatoes then finished with rigatoni pasta.

New Mexico-Green Chili Chicken Pasta

Roasted green chilis, chicken, pasta, and a creamy pepper-jack cheese sauce topped with sour cream and cilantro.

New York-Chicken Reggis

A very popular dish in New York restaurants: Tender chicken thighs, bell peppers, and cherry peppers stewed in tomatoes then tossed with pasta.

North Carolina-Sweet Potato Gnocchi*

Plump, orange, tender sweet potato gnocchi finished with broccolini, sage, and a parmesan cream sauce.

North Dakota-Pasta and Potato Soup

Pasta simmered into a thick, creamy potato soup for a warming, comforting, delicious dish.

Ohio-Cincinnati Chili

A dish that may seem bizarre to some, but truly embodies the great things about Ohio. Ground beef stewed with spices, tomatoes, and a bit of chocolate that is then served over spaghetti with onions and cheese.

Oklahoma-Balsamic Steak Pasta*

Tender strips of steak marinated in balsamic vinegar on top of pasta with a creamy sauce laced with sundried tomatoes.

Oregon: Crab Macaroni and Cheese

There are two great foods that Oregon is known for: crab and cheese, so this mac and cheese loaded with bits of crab and corn made perfect sense to me.

Pennsylvania-Cheesesteak Lasagna

There’s hardly anyone in Philly that doesn’t love cheesesteak, and this dish takes those classic flavors of onions, beef, and cheese and puts them into a unique lasagna.

Rhode Island-Clam Bake with Potato Noodles

A real celebration of seafood. Clams, mussels, shrimp, and corn stewed together with white wine then served over potato pasta.

South Carolina-Pasta with Sausage and Mustard Cream Sauce*

The perfect blend of a pasta dish and SC-style mustard bbq; chunks of sausage simmered in a creamy mustard sauce that wraps the pasta beautifully.

South Dakota-Air Fried Ravioli with Honey

Another unique but tasty pasta dessert: Ricotta-orange filled ravioli dusted with cinnamon-sugar then air fried to puffed up, crispy perfection then topped with honey.

Tennessee-Nashville hot Chicken Pasta

Spicy but tasty, this dish features slices of chicken, carrots, and celery cooked into a buffalo-cream sauce.

Texas-Fajita Pasta

Spice rubbed skirt steak and avocado draped on top of pasta, peppers, onions cooked in a sauce made with fire-roasted tomatoes, jack cheese, and sour cream.

Utah-Funeral Mac and Cheese Balls*

Macaroni pasta studded with bacon, jalapenos, and green onions then tossed with a cheddar cheese sauce. It is then rolled into balls, breaded with potato chips then air fried before being served with ranch. Need I say more?

Vermont-Poutine Gnocchi

While there’s nothing wrong with classic poutine, french fries topped with brown gravy and cheese, there are also ways that you can tweak it like swapping the fries for potato gnocchi.

Virginia-Apple Pie Pasta

There’s nothing more American than apple pie, and this dish puts another spin on a classic with spiralized apple noodles cooked in a brown sugar caramel sauce then topped with bits of crunchy pie dough.