Pasta is one of the best vehicles for a full meal. You can use so many different flavors to make delicious pasta dinners and sides. And with a wide variety of pasta cuts available in most grocery stores you can get really creative with your creations. I have pulled together nearly two dozen of my most popular Weeknight Pasta Recipes that I’ve shared over the years. Which one will you try first?
A few key kitchen tools you may want to have to hand when it comes to making these Pasta recipes:
- Pasta Fork – many use this just for long cuts of pasta like spaghetti or linguini but it can be used for pasta of many sizes as well as for serving and plating your pasta.
- Mesh Colanders – these are my favorite type of strainers. You will not lose any piece of pasta out the bottom as the holes are not big enough for anything but water. I also feel like you can get more liquid out because you can tap it on the sink without risk of losing pasta.
- 13×9 Baking Dish – a few of these recipes are made in a glass Baking dish.
And without further adieu – here are My Favorite Pasta Dishes from the blog!
Sausage & Zucchini Casserole – Zucchini and sausage is such a great flavor combination. Add in some pasta and three cheeses and you have a great meal. Sausage & Zucchini Casserole is a delicious weeknight meal that the whole family will devour. All the cheese and pasta is also a great way to get kids (who maybe normally wouldn’t) eat zucchini and love it. This is a fun way to use up all that garden zucchini you – or your neighbor – grew this year!
BBQ Pasta & Sausage – When life is in full swing and you have work and school and activities and work and school and gardening and baking and work and school…..you need simple meals that still taste great. One pan meals are always a great place to start when you are strapped for time. You can still be very creative and serve up a homecooked meal made with love to your family. I was craving some sort of BBQ but didn’t have time to be marinating meats, slow cooking things, or making lots of dishes all at once. So I put on my thinking cap and came up with this simple #onepandinner – BBQ Pasta & Sausage to satisfy the craving.
Garlic Parm Pasta – When planning my meals each week, I usually start with the list of main dishes. Then I decide if I think things will be in need of side dishes. Once of my favorite sides to make is a quick pasta – like this Garlic Parm Pasta. It is simple enough to go with lots of different things, but definitely is not bland or boring in any way.
Baked Penne Parm – Bakes and casseroles are great for weeknight dinners and also wonderful for make ahead meals. You know meals that you need to prep well before they actually get “cooked” for dinner times. I have been making these more and more often. Between my new work schedule and our new camper lifestyle, I have to get a bit more creative with how I prepare meals. This recipe for Baked Penne Parm is a great make right away or make ahead meal that you family is sure to love.
Zucchini & Squash Couscous – It’s that time of year when zucchini and yellow squash abound in the garden. Whether you grew it yourself or got it from a neighbor or friend, you probably need some ideas to use it up. This recipe for Zucchini & Squash Couscous is so easy to make. It works for meal prepping, lunch, or a side for dinner. It’s a light and easy dish for these late summer hot days.
Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells – Chicken, Pesto and Pasta – what’s not to love? Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells is going to be a great additions to your weeknight menu rotation. It feels like a fancy meal without being a ton of extra work. The stuffing of the shells does take a little bit of time, but not all that much. You could also get the family involved to make it go faster.
Sausage Stuffed Manicotti – While this dish may look like it takes a long while to get put together, it really is simple. You make the sauce right in the baking dish and let it cook along with the pasta. And once you have it all in the dish, you let the oven do all the work. This cheesy sauce pasta bake is going to make you feel like you cooked all day with minimal effort. Sausage Stuffed Manicotti is going to be a regular in my monthly rotation, and I am sure it will be in yours too!
Garlic herb Angel Hair Pasta – One of my family’s favorite side dishes is pasta. I try to get creative with it – using different sauces and types of pasta. One that I don’t get to use often is Angel Hair, for no particular reason. It really is a lovely and delicate pasta that takes on simple sauces with ease. This simple garlic and herb sauce balances is great with parmensan cheese and the thin pasta. Garlic Herb Angel Hair Pasta is easy to make and great as a lunch or as a side for your weeknight dinner.
Creamy Sausage & Mushroom Pasta – Italian sausage and mushroom come together so well in a creamy sauce. Turning it all into an easy and flavor packed pasta #onepan dinner just makes it that much more enticing. I say it often but really all you need for a great simple weeknight meal is a protein (italian sausage), a vegetable (mushrooms) and a starch/grain (pasta). Add in some parmesan cheese and you have a surefire winner like this Creamy Sausage & Mushroom Pasta.
Spicy Mac & Cheese Pizza – Sometime dinner just needs to be fun and different. We don’t have to be grown up allllll the time, right? This recipe for Spicy Mac & Cheese Pizza is just that – a lot of fun and makes you feel like a kid a bit. The added kick of the jalapenos is just enough to keep you on your toes. And if needs be…only put them on one of the pizzas, so the kids can have the other one..
Chicken & Creamy Garlic Shells – Chicken and pasta is a great combo for a #weeknightdinner. It’s simple to put together and will definitely not put a dent in the family food budget. This recipe for Chicken & Creamy Garlic Shells is really easy to make and can be on the table in 30 minutes (if you remember to marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning before heading out for the day).
Lasagna Meatball Soup – Soup is one of my favorite things to make for dinner. It’s so easy to give it huge amounts of flavor when you make it at home. And lasagna is another favorite thing for me to make – but it’s a bit much for a weeknight. So I put the two together and made this delicious Lasagna Meatball Soup. Using roasted tomatoes for the soup base and homemade beef meatballs – you and your family are really going to love it.
Cheesy Sausage & Tortellini – Some nights are just plain busier than others and you just need something quick and easy. And in my opinion that’s when Homemade on a Weeknight cooking has to take a detour and go #SemiHomemade. There is nothing wrong with incorporating a store bought ingredients to your homemade sauces. Some times you just don’t have the time to do both. That’s when you need a recipes like this one for Cheesy Sausage & Tortellini.
Sausage Spinach Stuffed Shells – Pasta is a perfect place to start when making weeknight dinners. You can add in some sauce, protein, and cheese for a delightful hearty meal. These Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells are an excellent way to get spinach into your families diet. This dish is also so beautiful when you prep it in concentric circles in the large round pan.
#OnePan Beef Stroganoff – Sometimes you just want a creamy delicious bowl of beef and noodles. When it comes to the truly traditional Russian version of Beef Stroganoff – you could be in the kitchen for a very long time as it typically uses chuck roast, which takes a few hours to become truly tender. This easier one pan version is perfect for a weeknight meal. This delicious creamy mushroom sauce with ground beef and egg noodles all made in one pan – you are going to love this recipe for #OnePan Beef Stroganoff.
Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs – When it comes to the ultimate comfort food, spaghetti and meatballs comes to mind almost every time. While some say you have to have this cooking all day long, you really can get great flavor out of just over an hour’s worth of cook time. Which makes it ideal for a Sunday supper, but also still doable for a weeknight dinner. This recipe for the Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs is going to really impress the whole family.
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese – My family loves my homemade Mac and cheese, so sometimes I try to make a while meal out of it. This time, I added in some roasted chicken and Buffalo hot sauce to kick things up a notch. What’s best about this recipe is how easy it is to put together on a weeknight. Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese needs to be on your next week’s menu plan.
#OnePot Sausage Alfredo – A super simple weeknight #onepot dinner with sausage, pasta and a creamy alfredo sauce. This recipe is so easy to put together, it actually makes for a great one to have one of your teens cook up as a “real life” practice. It is a low technique dish that produces a full of flavor meal that they can really take pride in. This #Onepot Sausage Alfredo is perfect for your next family dinner.
Creamy Ranch Pasta & Sausage When it comes to dinners on the week days, you often need to have some really simple but flavorful meals in your collection of recipes. This recipe for Creamy Ranch Pasta & Sausage falls right into that category. With the great flavors of ranch mixed with smoked sausage and pasta, your whole family is going to be happy campers.
Hope you enjoyed my selections of Pasta Recipes – do you have a favorite? Which one will you be trying first?
Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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So many great looking recipes!!!
We love pasta dishes in our house, so these recipes will be very useful! Thanks so much for sharing with #MMBC. 🙂
So many yummy looking pasta dishes!