40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (2024)

If you're a pasta lover, you'll be thrilled to find these easy yet delicious recipes to add to your weekly rotation! Discover new ways to make pasta at home, with an end result just as good as what you'd get at a restaurant - and so easy to make.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe

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This quick and easy chicken pasta recipe takes 30 minutes or less from start to finish. It's loaded with a creamy homemade alfredo sauce, sliced chicken breast, and al dente noodles for a simple weeknight comfort food your family will love! Get the recipe

Pasta Fresca

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Pasta Fresca is an easy 20-minute meal full of all your favorite Italian flavors. Al dente pasta, juicy ripe tomatoes, baby spinach and earthy mushrooms sautéed with balsamic vinegar and garlic for a umami rich sauce base, with a splash of heavy cream makes this a satisfying weeknight dinner! Get the recipe.

Pesto Cavatappi

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Pesto Cavatappi is a tasty copycat recipe of the famous Noodles & Company dish. This recipe uses fresh homemade basil pesto sauce. It smells and tastes amazing and is guaranteed to please the whole family. With this recipe, you can make a mouthwatering pasta any night of the week. Get the recipe.

Cherry Tomato Pasta

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (4)

Simple can sometimes be so much more, and that's definitely the case with this 15-minute Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Walnuts. Quick and easy to make it's delicious as it is, and even better topped with a generous piece of mozzarella or burrata cheese.

Get the from always use butter.

Instant Pot Bolognese

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Save time in the kitchen with this Instant Pot bolognese! A rich and hearty pasta sauce, this instant pot recipe brings all the flavors of the classic dish simmered for hours into a quick meal with basic pantry ingredients.

Get the recipe:Instant Pot Bolognese

Cashew Alfredo

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (6)

If you are looking for the easiest vegan alfredo sauce recipe, look no further. Our recipe needs only 5 ingredients, not to mention it is absolutely creamy, delicious, and ready in 15 minutes since no cooking is involved.

Get the recipe

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

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This 15-minute Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is an irresistible combination of tender shrimp, al dente pasta, and flavorful garlic butter sauce. Follow this simple recipe to create an effortless meal that blends the best of seafood and pasta into a delicious dish the whole family will love.

Get the recipe: Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (8)

Make this flavor packed Marry Me Chicken Pasta in just 20 minutes - and don't be surprised if everyone asks for seconds (or your hand in marriage!). It's a super creamy sauce with a delicious flavor combo of crème fraîche, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, paprika & oregano. All achieved with pantry staple dried herbs & minimal prep. Get the recipe: Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Pasta Aglio e Olio

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This pasta without sauce (or pasta with garlic and olive oil OR aglio e olio, it goes by many names), is basically the grown-up, gourmet version of buttered noodles.

Shrimp Carbonara

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (10)

This 10-minute Shrimp Carbonara is a delicious twist on the classic Italian pasta dish. All the creamy texture of traditional Carbonara, with the addition of perfectly cooked shrimp. A delightful fusion that will satisfy your cravings for both seafood and pasta, all with an easy no-fail no-cream carbonara method!

Get the recipe: Shrimp Carbonara

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

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This chicken pesto pasta salad recipe is perfect for summer. This healthy, simple salad that is quick to prepare and perfect for a BBQ! Get the recipe from Nutmeg & Vinegar.

Cheesy Tortellini Casserole

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (12)

Easy, cheesy and totally delicious - this is comfort food at its best!

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Pink Pasta Sauce with Bacon

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (13)

A spicy, creamy tomato sauce paired with bacon - what's not to love?!

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Seafood Pasta Bake

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This creamy Seafood Pasta Bake is easy to make in 45 minutes with just 15 minutes of hands-on cooking. Loaded with shrimp & mussels and amazing flavor from white wine, marjoram, lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese this dish is great for both weeknights and dinner parties.

Get the recipe from always use butter: Seafood Pasta Bake

Creamy Broccoli Pasta

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This pasta is loaded with veggies for a healthier dish you'll love.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake

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This Creamy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake is an easy dump-and-bake dinner that's ready to eat in less than 90 minutes. But don't worry - you'll only be actually cooking for 10 minutes! Loaded with broccoli, chicken and cheese this is comfort food at its best - with a heathier twist.

Get the recipe from always use butter: Creamy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake [Dump and bake!]

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Feta Cheese

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Feta cheese makes everything better - including creamy pasta sauces.

Get the recipe from always use butter: Creamy Chicken Pasta with Feta Cheese

Chicken Spinach Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (18)

This Dump-And-Bake Chicken Spinach Pasta is everything you need for a weeknight. All done in just over 1 hour, with just 10 minutes of prep. Creamy and filled with cheese this will become an immediate favorite with your whole family!

Get the recipe from always use butter: Dump-And-Bake Chicken Spinach Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Tortellini Carbonara

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (19)

This twist on a carbonara is quick and easy to make, and uses common ingredients you'll find at any supermarket.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

No-boil Mac and Cheese

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (20)

Making Mac and Cheese has never been this easy! With just 10 minutes of prep and 45 minutes in the oven you can make the best baked Mac and Cheese - in one pan, without boiling, no flour and no roux. With both Cheddar and Gruyere this is as cheesy & flavor packed as it gets!

Get the recipe from always use butter: Simple Mac and Cheese without Flour (Dump and Bake!)

Spicy Vodka Pasta

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Spicy, creamy, and so flavorful - you'll love this version of Vodka Pasta.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

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Make this cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake in under an hour, with less than 10 minutes of prep. It's loaded with spicy buffalo sauce and hidden spinach, and comes out cheesy and delicious. An indulgent and easy meal for a weeknight!

Get the recipe from always use butter: Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

Cacio e Pepe

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A classic Italian pasta dish that's surprisingly easy to make - and requires so few ingredients.

Get the recipe from Urban Farmie.

Creamy Red Wine Chicken Pasta

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On your table in just 30 minutes - this Red Wine Pasta Sauce is a winner every time! Packed full of fall flavors like red wine, mushrooms and thyme, it's a perfect Saturday night dinner - that you will love to have in your lunchbox come Monday.

Get the recipe from always use butter: Creamy Red Wine Pasta Sauce

Spicy Sausage Pasta

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Spicy sausage, pasta and Parmesan cheese combine to create this super tasty dinner.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Red Pesto Pasta with Roasted Veggies

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Done in under 30 minutes with just 15 minutes of active prepping & cooking this red pesto pasta is packed with veggies & flavor. Easy to make with homemade or store bought pesto - and with a great recipe for the homemade version included.

Get the recipe from always use butter: Red Pesto Pasta with Roasted Veggies

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

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You won't find a simpler pasta dish than this.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Halloumi Pasta Primavera

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20-minutes (chopping included!) is all you need to make this delicious, vegetarian halloumi pasta loaded with veggies. A light and summery dish without cream, this is a great summer dinner that lets the veggies shine.

Get the recipe from always use butter: 20-minute Halloumi Pasta Primavera [Vegetarian]

Fried Green Curry Spaghetti

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Thai curry + spaghetti = a dish so delicious you'll be wanting it every week.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Halloumi Carbonara

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (30)

Make a vegetarian version of carbonara with halloumi instead of bacon or guanciale.

Get the recipe from Hey Nutrition Lady.

Smoked Salmon & Spinach Pasta

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A super quick pasta dish you'll be coming back to over and over again.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Crème Fraîche Carbonara

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The best "fake" carbonara ever - with even more flavor than the classic.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Garlic Butter Pasta

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A super quick pasta dinner using common ingredients you probably already have at home.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

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Quick, easy, spicy and so so delicious!

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Cajun Alfredo Pasta

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A spicy twist on the classic Alfredo sauce.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

One-Pot Hummus Pasta

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12 minutes, 5 ingredients and one pot - dinner doesn't get much easier than this!

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Salmon Crème Fraîche Pasta

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Salmon and chives make this one of the best salmon pastas ever.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

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Maybe the most flavor packed pasta ever - with sun-dried tomatoes and dried herbs, for a delilcous dinner with basic ingredients.

Get the recipe from always use butter.

Coconut Milk Pasta

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Coconut milk makes a simple tomato-based pasta sauce into something truly rich and delicious. You will not miss heavy cream after trying this easy recipe!

Get the recipe from My Pure Plants: Coconut Milk Pasta

Pappardelle Pesto Pasta with Veggies

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This pasta dish is quick and simple to put together. With delicious noodles, flavorful pesto, and nutritious vegetables, you get a restaurant-quality meal at home in under 30 minutes.

Get the recipe from Piping Pot Curry

40 Beginner-Friendly Pasta Dinners to Try Tonight! (2024)

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