Pasta Side Dishes

Name: Pasta Side Dishes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: Creamy Fontina Cheese Pasta; Creamy Carbonara; Sweet Potato Gnocchi; Boursin Pasta; Goat Cheese Ravioli; Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo; Creamy Bacon Mac And Cheese; Mac And Cheese Cups; Lemon Pepper Sauce; White Wine Lemon Caper Sauce; Lemon Basil Pasta; Pesto Pasta; Broccoli Pasta; Lemon Spaghetti With Artichokes; Spaghetti With Mizithra Cheese And Browned Butter; Pasta Con Broccoli; Cherry Tomato Pasta; Pasta Aglio E Olio; Easy Cacio E Pepe; Easy Wonton Ravioli; The Best Baked Macaroni And Cheese; White Wine Sauce For Pasta

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By: Julie BlannerLeave a Comment
Posted: 6/17/22

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No matter the entrée, one of these fabulous pasta side dishes is sure to be the perfect complement! These pasta sides are quick and easy to make, and so family friendly.

Whether you’re serving fish, chicken, beef or any other favorites, pasta is such an easy way to round out a meal.

It’s affordable, fast and easy to make, and it’s beloved by almost everyone! Here are 22 incredible pasta side dishes that you can’t skip.

Four images of bowls of pasta, with a graphic headline reading "22 easy pasta side dishes"

You know my love for pasta runs deep. My hips don’t lie, friends! It’s my all-time favorite food, and I’d eat it for every meal if I could.

While pasta can always be the main dish, it’s also a wonderful side dish. It’s filling, affordable, and so versatile.

These incredible pasta sides are filled with flavor and sure to wow your family! No matter what protein you’re making for dinner, these are surefire success stories.

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Table of Contents

Pasta Side Dishes

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of potato side dishes! But often, pasta cooks quicker than potatoes do… even with a homemade sauce.

These pasta sides are creamy, wholesome and perfect for serving alongside your favorite main dishes. First, a few of my favorite pasta tips!

Tips

Learn how to make homemade pasta here. You won’t believe how simple it really is – homemade pasta could change your life!
Save a little of your pasta water to thin out your sauce if necessary. The starchy water is already warm and helps thin the sauce beautifully.
Cook your pasta al dente! The perfect bite of pasta won’t happen if your pasta is overcooked.
Want a chilled pasta side dish? Check out this complete guide to the Best Pasta Salad Recipes.
Use the best quality ingredients you can so that each ingredient shines!

Creamy Fontina Cheese Pasta

This creamy fontina cheese pasta is delightfully simple, made with only three ingredients and ready to serve in less than 15 minutes. Serve it all by itself, or as a fabulous side dish with some chicken and veggies for a delicious weeknight meal.

fontina cheese pasta on white plate with gold fork

Creamy Carbonara

This is the ultimate, classic Creamy Pasta Carbonara recipe. It is a simple, easy and fresh take on pasta that is easy to customize and the perfect pasta for dinner, lunch or even brunch! This spaghetti carbonara sauce is the best comfort food indulgence.

A large silver pot filled with spaghetti carbonara.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Homemade sweet potato gnocchi is so much easier than you might think. This is a simple vegetarian sweet potato gnocchi recipe, with a fresh and healthy spin on a traditional Italian dish. It makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

While it’s a little unexpected, I can promise it’s one of the best pasta side dishes!

A white plate with sweet potato gnocchi and a gold fork

Boursin Pasta

This Boursin pasta recipe is absolutely as rich and decadent as it sounds. It’s creamy, infused with fragrant herbs from this incredible cheese, and ready in just minutes. It’s the perfect lunch, dinner, or side dish when served with your favorite protein.

Goat Cheese Ravioli

This Goat Cheese Ravioli recipe with basil is light, fresh and full of summery, herbal flavor. It’s deceivingly quick and easy to make and sure to become one of your favorite dishes!

Packed full of creamy goat cheese, ricotta and fresh basil, this homemade ravioli is what dreams are made of!

A white plate with goat cheese ravioli in a light tomato sauce, gold fork to the side.

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

This incredibly rich and creamy Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is one of the easiest ways to enjoy a filling pasta dinner. This traditional, decadent Alfredo Sauce recipe is made with just five ingredients, and your family will beg you to make this time and time again!

Creamy Bacon Mac And Cheese

Bacon Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food: a grown up version of the classic childhood dish we all know and love. It’s rich, hearty and full of creamy, craveable flavor!

Mac and Cheese is always a favorite, but throw bacon into the mix and it’s an over the top delicious dinner or side dish! It’s a great main dish but one of the most timeless pasta side dishes around.

A white baking dish full of bacon mac and cheese, wooden spoon scooping at the edge.

Mac And Cheese Cups

These little Mac and Cheese Cups are the perfect bite-sized hors d’oeuvre the whole family will love! They’re beyond easy to make, using a mini muffin pan.

It’s everyone’s favorite comfort food in the perfect bite-sized portion! Easy to make and even easier to eat, I dare you to try and stop at just one mac and cheese cup!

Lemon Pepper Sauce

There’s nothing quite as vibrant, summery and flavorful as lemon pepper sauce to add to pasta, chicken wings, seafood and more! This sauce creates a fast and easy lemon pepper pasta that is truly unforgettable- filled with perfectly balanced soft essence of lemon flavor.

A white plate with a bowl full of lemon pepper pasta, gold fork to the side.

White Wine Lemon Caper Sauce

This is a white wine lemon caper sauce that’s ready in 10 minutes and works with a variety of protein and pasta dishes. Crisp, citrusy, creamy and fragrant, you’ll want to serve it all summer long!

A pot full of ravioli in a lemon caper sauce

Lemon Basil Pasta

This easy Lemon Basil Pasta recipe is quick enough for a weeknight dinner, but tastes special for date night!

Pesto Pasta

You can whip up this amazing Pesto Pasta recipe in minutes! Make a quick and easy fresh pesto sauce for your pasta, or take a pantry shortcut using jarred pesto. Regardless, it’s a surefire success!

A white plate with basil pesto on fresh pasta.

Light And Flavorful Broccoli Pasta

This amazing Broccoli Pasta is a one-pot wonder made with just seven ingredients in minutes! Use staples, fresh or frozen ingredients to whip up this delicious pasta broccoli dish.

This is one of those pasta side dishes you can feel great about serving your family!

A white plate filled with broccoli pasta, blue napkin behind.

Lemon Spaghetti With Artichokes

Lemon Spaghetti with Artichokes is a fresh and flavorful spring and summer infused pasta that’s full of flavor. This easy vegetarian weeknight meal comes together in 20 minutes using a handful of simple ingredients.

The creamy lemon pasta sauce is light and fresh and the fried artichokes are to die for!

Spaghetti With Mizithra Cheese And Browned Butter

A copycat Spaghetti Factory recipe – Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter is an easy weeknight dinner recipe in about 10 minutes! Dry, mild Mizithra Cheese is always a crowd pleaser.

It’s like grown up buttered noodles!

spaghetti on a plate sprinkled with mizithra cheese

Pasta Con Broccoli

Pasta con Broccoli is an incredible Italian dish with broccoli and mushrooms, tossed in an amazing tomato cream sauce. This one pot dinner is made start to finish in less than 20 minutes!

Cherry Tomato Pasta

A light and refreshing Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce that comes together in minutes. This Tomato Pasta has it all – a little heat sprinkled in with bursts of sweet cherry tomatoes.

Pasta Aglio E Olio

Light and flavorful three ingredient Aglio e Olio, a traditional Italian dish! The perfect weeknight dinner made with pantry ingredients in just ten minutes.

Easy Cacio E Pepe

Easy Cacio e Pepe recipe, a simple Roman dish meaning cheese and pepper, which is pretty much all I need in life! This easy Italian pasta dish comes together in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for a family weeknight meal.

Made with just five ingredients, the simplicity of this dish is perfection!

Image featuring a white plate full of cacio e pepe with spaghetti noodles, gold fork twirled with pasta on the side of plate.

Easy Wonton Ravioli

Easy Wonton Ravioli come together in just 10 minutes by taking a shortcut (hint – it’s wonton wrappers!). No need to worry about making the dough from scratch.

It’s a quick yet elegant homemade pasta recipe that gets tossed in a luxurious butter sage sauce your family will love.

10 Minute Cheese Ravioli in a Sage Browned Butter Sauce in just 10 minutes

The Best Baked Macaroni And Cheese

This is an easy, creamy baked mac and cheese recipe made in minutes with just a few staple ingredients! Make the BEST baked macaroni and cheese with very little hands on time.

White Wine Sauce For Pasta

Perfect for seafood, chicken and more! Bursting with fresh flavor, this is an incredibly easy white wine sauce recipe that is perfect for pasta, seafood and chicken dishes. It’s light and refreshing for spring, summer and fall! Make it tonight – start to finish in less than 15 minutes!