Craving pasta for dinner tonight but are wondering what to make? Well, you have come to the right place. We are sharing this compilation of our 40 best and most popular pasta recipes so that you don't have to look any further when you are looking for a comforting plate of pasta. You will find everything from meaty pastas, lasagnas, chicken pastas, seafood pastas, vegetarian pastas, pasta bakes, pasta salad and soup, and more! Plus, these delicious recipes are EASY and most of them are quite quick (I am talking about 15-20 minutes quick), making most of them perfect for a quick weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
Easy and Popular Pasta Recipes
Pasta Bake with Sausage (Baked Ziti)
Pasta bake with sausage (baked ziti) is a lazy day lasagna with layers of pasta tossed in a rich meat sauce, layered with mozzarella, and baked.
Quick and easy pesto penne pasta is a simple and light Italian pasta dish made with just five ingredients in under 15 minutes. The easiest dinner.
Creamy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Creamy white chicken and spinach lasagna with tender shredded chicken is the most comforting creamiest cheesiest white lasagna. Easy to make ahead & freeze.
Stovetop Mac and Cheese with White Cheddar
Quick and easy, creamy stovetop mac and cheese with white cheddar is a delicious and comforting one pot 20-minute meal packed with three types of cheese.
This Creamy Tomato Pasta is a simple and delicious meal made from scratch in 25 minutes with a cream and tomato based sauce that is rich and silky smooth.
Creamy spaghetti carbonara (Spaghetti a la Carbonara) is a simple classic Italian pasta with pancetta that's quick and easy to make in minutes.
Shrimp Alfredo is creamy, garlicky, and delicious! This quick and easy, under 30-minute recipe is a go-to for busy nights and a year-round family favorite.
Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage Bake
Quick and easy, cheesy tortellini and sausage bake is a delicious 30-minute dinner packed with flavour. A family-favourite comfort food for busy weeknights.
Quick and easy mascarpone pesto pasta is the tastiest creamy pasta dish you'll ever make in under 15 minutes. It's the best weeknight dinner.
Classic easy meat lasagna is the ultimate Italian comfort food with layers of tender lasagna, meaty tomato sauce, cheese filling and melted cheese on top.
Fettuccine alfredo is a classic Italian pasta dish that is rich, creamy, and delicious. Plus, it comes together in less than 15 minutes!
Quick easy spaghetti bolognese with a rich, thick, delicious and flavourful meat sauce is a family favourite ready in 30 minutes. Best weeknight dinner.
Beef stroganoff is a delicious, flavorful, and comforting Russian pasta dish that is ready in under 25 minutes. The perfect weeknight dinner.
Chicken penne pasta is a quick and easy dinner that is delicious, rich, creamy, and flavorful. It's a family favorite that's ready in under 30 minutes.
Ground turkey pasta bake is an easy yet impressive meal that is cozy, comforting, and satisfying. A family-friendly casserole dinner ready in 45 minutes.
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Creamy shrimp pasta with sun-dried tomatoes is a delicious, quick and easy meal that takes just 20 minutes to prep and make. The perfect weeknight dinner. | aheadofthyme.com
Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
Creamy turkey tetrazzini with spinach is a simple, easy and delicious pasta recipe that is comforting, creamy and cheesy. The recipe used turkey, but you can easily substitute it with leftover chicken or a storebought rotisserie chicken instead.
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Bake
Creamy shrimp fettuccine alfredo pasta bake is garlicky, buttery, cheesy, loaded with shrimp + parsley and topped with mozzarella. Easy comfort food goals.
Farfalle Pasta with Mushroom Rose Sauce
Farfalle pasta with mushroom rose sauce is creamy yet light, delicious and flavorful, and quick and easy to make in 20 minutes. Best comfort food dinner!
Lemon butter pasta is quick and easy to make, light yet filling, and loaded with flavor. A delicious twist on classic buttered noodles ready in 15 minutes.
Homemade hamburger helper is a family favorite but you can make a cheaper, healthier, and way tastier version at home, ready in just 30 minutes.
Creamy Mushroom Tagliatelle Pasta is a quick and easy, restaurant-worthy vegetarian dinner that is ready in just 30 minutes! Elevated comfort food at home.
Baked Ravioli is simple delicious comfort food that is perfect for a weeknight family dinner or for entertaining. It's hearty, comforting, and kid-friendly.
This Vegetarian Bolognese is a quick and easy vegetable-packed pasta with the flavor, texture, and goodness of a traditional Bolognese without the meat.
Ricotta stuffed shells are an easy, hearty, and classic Italian comfort food that can feed the whole family. Easy to make ahead and freeze for another day.
Classic baked mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food - creamy, cheesy, and cozy, topped with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. It's quick and easy too.
Quick and easy spaghetti and meatballs is delicious, rich, comforting with tender beef meatballs simmered in a savoury tomato sauce. Make it in 30 minutes.
Lasagna roll ups are a twist on traditional lasagna. Lasagna noodles are filled with cheese and meat sauce and rolled up. Make ahead and freezer-friendly!
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is a delicious 30 minute recipe that is packed with flavor, quick and easy to make, and will satisfy the whole family.
Baked Feta Pasta is a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that is creamy, delicious, and flavorful - the whole family will love this Tiktok pasta!
Brie mac and cheese takes traditional macaroni and cheese to the next level. It's creamy, comforting, delicious, and easy to make in about 30 minutes.
Creamy mushroom pasta is packed with buttery garlicky mushrooms swimming in a delicious creamy Parmesan sauce. Quick and easy make in 20 minutes.
Spring Pesto Pasta with Asparagus
Spring pesto pasta with asparagus and chives is light and made with simple ingredients in under 20 minutes. Serve it hot for dinner or cold as pasta salad.
Cacio e pepe is a simple, authentic Italian pasta dish made with just four ingredients in 20 minutes. It's delicious, flavourful and easy to make.
Cheesy Baked Gnocchi is quick and easy comfort food made all in one pot with chewy bites of gnocchi, a simple tomato-based sauce, and gooey melty cheese.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Butternut squash mac and cheese is a flavorful and delicious fall twist on a classic, with a rich and creamy sauce that is secretly loaded with veggies.
This simple creamy salmon pasta is quick and easy to make, delicious and flavorful, and loaded with salmon. A weeknight dinner in under 30 minutes.
Mediterranean Baked Shrimp Orzo
Mediterranean baked shrimp orzo is a complete wholesome one pot meal with delicious sautéed vegetables, juicy shrimp, and orzo pasta. Make it in 30 minutes.
If you're a fan of spinach artichoke dip, you need to try this spinach artichoke pasta. It's quick and easy comfort food is ready in under 30 minutes.
Toasted Ravioli is a classic Italian appetizer that is crispy and golden on the outside, and tender and gooey on the inside. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
Butternut squash lasagna is a delicious, warm and cozy vegetarian lasagna to make this fall when the your family is craving major comfort food this fall.
Mussels pasta in tomato sauce is a simple, light and fresh, seafood pasta dinner that you can make at home in 30 minutes. Easiest weeknight dinner.
Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach
This Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach is creamy, cheesy, and delicious. This classic Italian dish gets a meatless upgrade in this vegetarian version.
This easy 10-minute vegan light and creamy avocado basil pesto spaghetti is loaded with avocado, basil, walnuts, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.
Baked Mediterranean pasta is simple, flavorful, and vibrant, loaded with fresh tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives, and topped with mozzarella cheese.
Pumpkin Pasta is one of the quickest and easiest pasta dishes you can make this fall! It's flavorful, creamy, cheesy, and made with real pumpkin!
Spaghetti Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms
10-minute creamy spaghetti alfredo with spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes is tossed in a smooth buttery and garlicky alfredo sauce with fresh parsley.
Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, and Roasted Red Peppers
Orecchiette pasta with sausage, broccoli rabe, and roasted red peppers is a mix of spicy, sweet, and crunchy, and is on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Butternut Squash Carbonara Pasta
If you like traditional carbonara, you are going to love creamy butternut squash carbonara pasta with Parmesan, bacon and sage. The best fall comfort food.
This one pan Skillet Lasagna has all the same ingredients and flavors as a traditional meat lasagna but with minimal prep and is ready in just 40 minutes.
Fried mac and cheese balls are crispy on the outside, creamy and cheesy on the inside, and have the perfect crunch. Best way to use leftover mac and cheese.
Pasta Soup
Smooth, hearty and light, one pot lemon chicken orzo soup is pure comfort in a bowl. This family favourite is like chicken noodle soup with a major upgrade. Serve it with some crispy sourdough discard crackers with sesame seeds.
Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage
Hearty and creamy tortellini soup with sausage, spinach and kale is total comfort food in a bowl. Make this flavourful one pot meal in under 30 minutes.
Lasagna soup is a twist on a classic Italian recipe with all the same delicious comforting flavors in the form of a hearty one pot soup.
Warm and cozy, creamy turkey orzo soup is wholesome, hearty, filling, and flavourful. Make this delicious one pot meal with leftover turkey in 30 minutes.
White chicken lasagna soup is a thick and creamy soup version of this classic Italian dish. It's quick and easy to make in just 30 minutes.
Pasta Salads
Italian pasta salad is delicious, wholesome, and easy to make. Make it up to three days ahead for your summer picnics and cookouts. You can't get more classic than Italian Salad on Memorial Day!
Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
Quick and easy Mediterranean orzo pasta salad packed with fresh vegetables and herbs is tossed in a Greek lemon vinaigrette. Healthy, light and delicious.
Classic macaroni salad is a creamy and delicious pasta salad that is easy to throw together. It's the perfect side to bring to a summer potluck or BBQ.
Greek Pasta Salad is quick and easy, loaded with Mediterranean flavors, and delicious. Serve it at a summer cookout or potluck, or meal prep weekly lunches.
How to Store and Reheat Pasta
Store any of these easy pasta recipes in an airtight container (once cooled to room temperature) and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Most of these are also freezer-friendly so you can store them for up to 3 months in the freezer!
For any stovetop pasta, you can reheat again over the stove on medium-low heat until warmed through. You may have to add a splash of water as the sauce will have likely thickened up when stored in the refrigerator. For casserole-type pastas like lasagna and pasta bakes, you can also reheat over the stove, or you can reheat in the oven at 300F for 10-15 minutes, or air fryer for 5-10 minutes, until fully warmed through. Refer to the specific recipe post for full storing and reheating instructions.
Did You Make Any of These Pasta Recipes?
Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of the best pasta recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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PrintRecipe
40 Best Pasta Recipes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Browse 40 best and most popular pasta recipes including meaty pastas, lasagnas, chicken pastas, seafood pastas, vegetarian pastas, salad, soup, and more!
Ingredients
- pasta
Instructions
- How to store: Store any of these easy pasta recipes in an airtight container (once cooled to room temperature) and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Most of these are also freezer-friendly so you can store them for up to 3 months in the freezer!
- How to reheat:
- For any stovetop pasta, you can reheat again over the stove on medium-low heat until warmed through. You may have to add a splash of water as the sauce will have likely thickened up when stored in the refrigerator.
- For casserole-type pastas like lasagna and pasta bakes, you can also reheat over the stove, or you can reheat in the oven at 300F for 10-15 minutes, or air fryer for 5-10 minutes, until fully warmed through.
- Refer to the specific recipe post for full storing and reheating instructions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 400
James says
Wow, so much inspiration here. Not sure where to begin!! But I especially love the soups. Gotta try a few of those for sure.
wilhelmina says
There are so many great options here! I am enjoying working my way through the list!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Wilhelmina!
Nellie Tracy says
Fantastic collection of some great pasta recipes! Love it!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Nellie!