Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes

Find inspiration for your next meal with quick and easy pasta recipes, including 10-minute marinara sauce, chilled pasta salads, stovetop mac and cheese, and more.

From classic comfort dishes to creative twists and vibrant international flavors, this roundup is your go-to source for pasta inspiration.

Vegetarian and Vegan Pasta Recipes

Find inspiration with vegetarian and vegan pasta dishes that prove meat-free can be just as satisfying and flavorful. And don’t miss my favorite Boursin Cheese Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach, that’s creamy, comforting and ready in 30 minutes or less!

Classic Pasta Dishes

Dive into the comforting world of classic pasta dishes! From the rich flavors of traditional Spaghetti Bolognese to the creamy goodness of Chicken Piccata Pasta, these timeless recipes are sure to satisfy your pasta cravings.

• Stuffed Shells with Meat, Cheese and Spinach: DIY’ing this Italian comfort food favorite is easy and quick (just 20 mins to prep!). It’s loaded with meat, cheese and spinach but meat-free works, too.
• Beef Bourguignon with Buttered Parsley Noodles: This delicious beef stew is slow-cooked to perfection and paired with the most delicious parsley buttered noodles.
• Homemade Meat Lasagna: With layers of tender pasta, hearty meat sauce, and creamy cheese, this classic dish is the epitome of comfort food perfection. 

Quick Pasta Favorites

Short on time? No worries! Try the 20-minute shrimp scampi pasta or the convenience of one-pot pasta with sausage for a quick and flavorful solution to busy evenings. Quick and easy doesn’t mean compromising on taste!

• Pasta with Pancetta and Vodka Sauce: Perfectly cooked pasta is smothered in a vodka-infused tomato sauce with crispy pancetta for a rich and flavorful Italian-inspired dish.
• Quick Gnocchi with Crispy Garlic: Pillowy gnocchi sautéed to golden perfection and tossed with a flavorful combination of crispy garlic, butter and fresh herbs.
• 30-Minute Pumpkin Mac and Cheese: Even the pickiest eaters will enjoy this dish because the pumpkin flavor is so subtle.
• Leftover Pasta Frittata: Transform last night’s leftovers into a quick and easy Leftover Pasta Frittata loaded with veggies! It’s the ultimate template for utilizing whatever odds and ends you have in your fridge and freezer.
• One-Pot Gnocchi with Sausage: Pillowy store-bought gnocchi and chopped fresh kale tossed with fresh citrus. It’s a 20-minute dinner recipe your family will love!

Creative and Unique Pasta Recipes

• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta: This recipe stars spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and bacon tossed in a garlicky Parmesan cheese sauce. It’s like an amped-up mac and cheese that comes together in one pot.
• Pepperoni Pizza Pasta: This recipe is more of a template than anything else and can be customized to your preferences with every meat and veggie imaginable. If you’d put it on a pizza, you can put it in pizza pasta!
• Easy Cheesy Spaghetti Cupcakes: Grab your muffin pan for a fun spin on the classic that’s made with just four ingredients. The result is cheesy single-serving spaghetti that’s gooey in the center and slightly crispy around the edges.
• French Onion Mac and Cheese: It stars caramelized onions and an extra-creamy white cheddar and mozzarella cheese sauce.
• Broccoli Pesto Pasta: Add a veggie kick to a classic Italian sauce with this creamy broccoli pesto. And don’t miss my tips for how to customize this herbaceous sauce with different nuts, fresh herbs and more!
• Easy Turkey Tetrazzini: This warm and cozy casserole stars shredded turkey or rotisserie chicken, veggies and pasta in a garlicky cheese sauce.
• Deep-Fried Ravioli On a Stick: Snack on a state fair favorite at home with this easy recipe that’s perfect for dunking into homemade tomato sauce.
• Babbo’s Black Spaghetti: This flavor-packed dish stars homemade jalapeño pesto, squid ink spaghetti, rock shrimp and spicy soppressata.
• Crispy Parmesan Gnocchi: The ultimate mashup of pillowy soft potato dumplings, extra-crispy cheese and all the salty, cheesy, chewy deliciousness imaginable.
• Cheesy Turkey Taco Pasta: If you love mac and cheese and tacos, you’ll love this taco pasta! It’s made with eight simple ingredients and will be on your table in 40 minutes or less.

International Pasta Dishes

• Pad Thai with Chicken: Create a delicious stir-fry effortlessly by tossing rice noodles in a sweet and tangy sauce. This foolproof recipe is perfect for a quick and tasty homemade meal. Don’t have rice noodles on hand? No worries! Feel free to substitute with your preferred noodle variety for a versatile and equally delicious dish.
• Easy Chicken Lo Mein: Tender chicken, vibrant vegetables and perfectly cooked noodles bathed in a flavorful homemade sauce.
• Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry with Noodles: This quick-fix recipe stars the best homemade teriyaki sauce.
• Thai Chicken Pasta Salad: This easy-to-make Thai-inspired pasta salad features a homemade peanut dressing, tender chicken, crisp veggies and al dente pasta.
• Dan Dan Peanut Noodles with Chicken: My version stars a flavor-packed homemade peanut sauce, ground chicken and your pasta of choice. It’s a fast, 30-minute recipe!
• Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing: Soba noodles, fresh veggies and the easiest, creamiest peanut sauce make this dish a winner when served hot, cold or at room temp.
• Chilled Ramen Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing: This is not your average ramen noodles. I’ve transformed the carb classic by ditching the seasoning packet, loading up on fresh veggies and edamame, and bringing it all together with the ultimate DIY sauce.
• Drunken Noodles with Chicken: This quick, stir-fried noodle dish is one of my all-time faves! Rice noodles, tender chicken and loads of veggies tossed in sweet, tangy, garlicky soy sauce. No rice noodles? No prob! Swap in your noodle of choice.
• One Pan Pad See Ew: Pad See Ew, the second most renowned Thai noodle dish after Pad Thai, features flat rice noodles as its base, with the true burst of flavor arising from its slightly sweet gravy.

Pasta Salads

Whether it’s the Mediterranean flair of a Greek Pasta Salad or the zesty notes of a Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad, these pasta salads are perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a light and quick meal.

• Zucchini Pasta Salad: Al dente pasta, zucchini ribbons, protein-packed chickpeas, crunchy pistachios, sun-dried tomatoes, and one seriously stellar lemony vinaigrette made with Dijon mustard, garlic and honey.
• 30-Minute BLT Pasta Salad: Crispy bacon, fresh romaine, cherry tomatoes and your choice of noodles tossed in a light, garlicky warm weather-friendly vinaigrette.
• Caprese Pasta Salad with Chicken: Bruschetta, but make it pasta salad! The tomato-basil duo takes on new life when paired with pasta, mini mozzarella balls and chicken, and it all gets tossed in a garlicky balsamic vinaigrette sweetened with a squeeze of honey.
• Chinese Chicken Pasta Salad: This flavor-packed salad is ideal for meal prep. It stars shredded purple cabbage, tender chicken, crunchy almonds, crisp cucumber and Mandarin oranges tossed in a quick-fix DIY dressing.
• Pea Pesto Pasta Salad: This recipe hits all the high notes with bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls tossed in a creamy pea pesto.

Homemade Pasta

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