Find all our favorite easy pasta recipes for every occasion. Fresh, quick and easy pasta is a classic dinner option you’ll return to time and again.

Many of these classic recipes are made with just a few ingredients from your pantry! These are the perfect recipes for wholesome, family friendly weeknight pasta dinners.

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These easy pasta recipes are so incredibly good. Make dinner stress free with classic pasta dishes the whole family will enjoy!

No matter what you have in your pantry, there’s a pasta recipe for you here! From one pot pastas to slow cooker options you’ll find easy pasta recipes for every occasion.

It’s no secret that pasta is my absolute favorite! Through the years I have shared a lot of homemade pasta recipes. Many of them require just a few staple ingredients. Start with a boiling pot of water and end with a delicious meal you’ll savor. 

Tips

  • Learn how to make homemade pasta here. It’s so simple to make it from scratch that it might just change your life!
  • Learn How to Cook Pasta right here, with all my favorite tips and tricks – and learn How to Reheat Pasta here.
  • Always save a cup of your warm pasta water to thin out sauces. The starchy, salty water is perfect for this.
  • Cook your pasta al dente! Your pasta won’t hold up to sauces if it’s overcooked.
  • Use the best quality ingredients you can so that each ingredient shines – and that means cheese! Learn how to grate cheese here.

Easy Pasta Recipes

Let’s start with the classics along with recipes that require just a few ingredients!

Most of the ingredients in these recipes are pantry staples. These go-to recipes are perfect during a winter storm or when you’re avoiding a trip to the grocery store.

Pasta Aglio e Olio

This oil and garlic pasta is a light and flavorful three ingredient traditional Italian dish! It’s made with pantry ingredients in just ten minutes. On the table in just ten minutes, this is the comforting adult version of buttered noodles.

You won’t believe the texture and flavor from these simple pantry ingredients! A dash of pepper flakes gives it just the right kick, with fresh grated parmesan cheese on top.

aglio e olio on a plate

Boursin Pasta

Add my easy baked chicken to this Boursin pasta, which is so rich and decadent. It’s creamy, infused with fragrant herbs from this incredible cheese, and ready in just minutes.

A white serving bowl full of Boursin pasta topped with chives.

Cacio e Pepe

A simple Roman dish made with cheese and pepper which is always a favorite of adults and children alike! This dish is similar to an alfredo, but a touch more refined.

Good cheese (finely grated) and big bites of fresh cracked pepper make a world of difference! Give this one a try to replace the mac and cheese your kids love one night… you’ll be glad you did!

A silver pan full of cacio e pepe noodles, blue towel wrapped around handle on a marble surface.

Taco Stuffed Shells

These taco stuffed shells are such a fun spin on this classic family-friendly pasta dinner. Combine your crew’s love of taco night with their love of pasta night, and get the best of both worlds!

Taco stuffed shells in a white baking pan.

Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo With Grilled Chicken

Ready for an Italian favorite that everyone in your family is going to clamor over? Don’t miss this incredible Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken. It’s filling, decadent, and overflowing with cheesy goodness.

Tortelloni alfredo with grilled chicken on a white plate.

Carbonara

A classic one pot recipe that is rich, creamy and full of flavor. This one is not light on calories but it’s certainly full of flavor! Buttery, garlicky and refined enough to serve guests but easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

There’s a reason this classic pasta dish is always a favorite on Italian restaurant menus. It’s one you’ll return to again and again… it’s similar to a fettucine alfredo sauce!

A white plate with a serving of spaghetti carbonara, gold fork to the side

Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter

A simple, flavorful dish that is a little lighter than many of my pasta dishes. Coming in at just 310 calories per serving, it’s not going to stall your diet and you’ll get the comfort you’re craving!

Mizithra cheese has a flavor that cannot be matched, and the browned butter adds a deep nutty richness to this dish.

spaghetti on a plate sprinkled with mizithra cheese

Mexican Spaghetti

Mexican spaghetti is a flavored pasta bake that comes together easily for a hearty family meal. This chicken spaghetti dish is pure comfort food and requires just a few pantry ingredients.

Mexican spaghetti on a white plate, topped with a little cilantro, placed on a white marble countertop.

Pasta Con Broccoli

Pasta con Broccoli is an easy one pot Italian dish. Shells are tossed in a rich tomato cream sauce with tender broccoli and mushrooms. It’s made start to finish in less than 20 minutes!

A white plate of pasta con broccoli.

Cherry Tomato Pasta

This is a light and refreshing cherry tomato pasta that comes together in minutes. This recipe has it all – it’s the ultimate in simplicity, with a little heat sprinkled in along with bursts of sweet cherry tomatoes.

cherry tomato pasta on a white plate.

Creamy Chicken Pasta With Cajun Sauce

This creamy chicken pasta is perfectly spicy, in a parmesan Cajun sauce to die for! Delicious and effortless, it’s a creamy Cajun chicken pasta to crave. 

chicken pasta in Cajun Cream Sauce

Penne Alla Vodka

A classic vodka sauce with a touch of mascarpone for a delightfully creamy texture. This pasta sauce has a little kick, and the spicy finish pairs beautiful with your Friday night glass of wine!

Creamy, textural and so flavorful… this one will be your go-to weekend date night dish.

Penne alla vodka on a white plate with a gold fork.

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.

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

Spicy Pomodoro Sauce

Easy, light and flavorful pomodoro sauce recipe to spice up your dinners. Filled with good quality tomatoes, arugula and basil, you won’t miss the added fat or calories here! This is a lightened-up pasta dish to love.

A white plate of pasta with pomodoro sauce.

White Wine Sauce

This easy white wine sauce is perfect for pasta, seafood and chicken dishes. It’s light and refreshing for spring, summer and fall!

This sauce is light, refreshing and crisp… perfect with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc you’re using to make this dish. One of the most popular recipes I’ve ever created, this one is a must-try!

A white plate full of pasta in a white wine sauce.

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

A quick and easy pasta dinner, this sun dried tomato sauce focuses on the rich flavor of the quality tomatoes you purchase. With that flavor infused throughout the dish, you won’t miss any heavy cream, cheese or butter additions here. Yum! 

A plate of sun dried tomato pasta

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.

cheesy pasta on white plate

Gigi Hadid Pasta

This is one of those viral recipes that really lives up to the hype – a spicy vodka pasta that is too good to resist! Get the recipe for the delicious Gigi Hadid pasta that has taken the internet by storm.

A white plate full of Gigi Hadid viral vodka pasta with a stainless steel pan full of this easy pasta recipe to the side.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta

This garlic parmesan pasta is proof that sometimes the simplest things truly are the best! Learn how to make pasta parmesan for a quick pasta dinner your family will adore.

buttered garlic parmesan pasta in a silver pan

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! 

pasta in cream sauce in sauté pan garnished with parmesan and parsley

White Wine Lemon Caper Sauce

A 10-minute fresh and flavorful pasta dish, capers are everything in this dish. The briney flavor is not to be missed, and this sauce is perfect with homemade or store-bought ravioli.

ravioli in a stainless peel saute pan topped with a white wine lemon caper sauce

Chorizo and Chicken Pasta

Loaded with spicy, crispy chorizo, this chicken and chorizo pasta is on the table in under 30 minutes. Full of zesty ingredients your family will love, this easy chorizo chicken pasta is a keeper!

Chorizo chicken pasta in a cast iron pot

The Best Pasta Sides

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