Are you looking for healthy, nutritious, and satisfying meals that you can make in no time? Well, you’re in luck! You can make these carb-heavy Italian dishes that can be as versatile and customizable as they can be with our Italian pasta recipes.
You don’t have to sacrifice the taste and quality of your food just because you want convenience. These pasta dishes are cheap and easy to make. Best of all, it’s tasty and flavorful. No matter what your nutrition goal is, having a healthy meal is crucial. You can have all these with pasta!
Do you want more food ideas that are not just healthy, but are also very convenient? You should check out this list of 15 Best Healthy Lunchables For Adults To Meal Prep!
20 Best Italian Pasta Recipes To Try
Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
Let’s start this list of Italian pasta recipes with this classic Italian comfort food. For the meatballs, you’ll need some ground beef, eggs, cheese and milk, breadcrumbs, and your preferred seasonings. Once you’ve made the meatballs, you can then serve them over pasta and marinara sauce.
Ricotta Gnocchi
This ricotta gnocchi recipe is probably the easiest out there! With just a handful of ingredients, you can eat them with your favorite pasta sauces. You can cook these with ricotta cheese, flour, parmesan, egg yolks, and salt and pepper.
Penne Pesto Pasta
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You can make this quick-and-easy pesto pasta in just one pot! Whether you’re using pesto sauce from scratch or pre-made ones, you can definitely enjoy this classic. You can make this dish with pesto sauce, chicken breasts, and parmesan cheese.
Veggie Pasta Salad in a Jar
A grab-and-go pasta salad in no time! You can use some Italian dressing with tomatoes, olives, pasta, salami, and cheese. You just have to make sure to layer them properly so your food stays fresh. These tips are featured in our 17 Vegan Mason Jar Salads We Can’t Resist article.
Italian Pasta Salad
Want a hearty dish loaded with flavor? You can simply toss pasta, hard salami, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, olives, pepperoncini, mozzarella, onion, and basil into a bowl. Finally, you can pour your desired amount of Italian vinaigrette and you’re done!
Cacio e Pepe
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Cacio e Pepe literally translates to “cheese and pepper” and it’s as easy to prep as it is flavorful. You’ll need some pasta, butter, olive oil, black pepper, pecorino, and parmesan to make this quick-and-easy recipe.
Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
Sausage rigatoni’s are oh-so-simple and good! With some rigatoni, spicy Italian sausage, and different veggies and spices, you can make this recipe in no time. For a bit of zing, you can also add some balsamic or Italian dressing, cheese, and basil!
Italian Sausage Pasta
Looking for a creamy and delicious pasta recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes? Well, you’re in luck! This recipe calls for pasta, Italian sausage, tomatoes, whipped cream, and cheese. These are one of the best flavor-packed Italian pasta recipes you can have!
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Angel Hair Pasta
With some angel hair pasta, olive oil, onion and garlic, roasted red peppers, half-and-half, cayenne pepper, and fresh basil leaves, you can create this pasta dish! You can also customize it how you want it to be. You can make these ahead of time and just store and reheat them! If you’re looking for more recipes you can meal prep, then you should check out 15 Easy Keto Meal Prep Ideas That Even Lazy Dieters Can Make!
Fried Ravioli
These fried ravioli create a twist on the classic ravioli’s. To make these crispy and flavorful delights, you can simply coat ravioli with breadcrumbs, then fry them until golden brown. Instead of marinara sauce mixed into the pasta, you can use it as a dip so they won’t get soggy.
3-Ingredient Creamy Tomato Shells
You can have a tasty dish with just three ingredients! Those are whole-wheat shells (or any pasta, really), Pomodoro garlic sauce, and cashews. You can also add different herbs and seasonings for more flavor.
Pasta Pomodoro
Another one of our Italian pasta recipes uses a Pomodoro sauce. For this classic dish, you’ll need some spaghetti, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, cheese, and fresh basil. Simply toss them in one pot, cook ‘em, and serve!
Chicken Alfredo
This creamy chicken alfredo is one of the most delicious Italian pasta recipes you can have. You can marinate the chicken breasts in different seasonings and spices. Then, you can make the alfredo sauce with some butter, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Assemble these all with fettuccine in a serving dish, and finally, garnish them with cheese and chopped parsley.
Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
Pasta can be a perfectly-balanced meal! As featured in our 17 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas To Simplify Your Life article, this can give you the energy you’ll need for the day. You can have some carbs from pasta, protein from tuna meat, and nutrients from different veggies.
Pizzagna
Want to have the best Italian dishes rolled into one? You can simply bake lasagna noodles, mushrooms, ground beef, marinara sauce, and ricotta. For the pizza part of this dish, you’ll need some mozzarella and pepperoni. You can also add some chopped parsley for the garnish.
Pasta Puttanesca
You can also have this incredibly-fragrant pasta at home! For the sauce, you’ll need some diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, capers, and olives. You can then combine the sauce with spaghetti, and finally top them off with parmesan upon serving.
Basil-Lemon Crab Linguine
A five-star meal in the comfort of your own home? This basil-lemon crab linguine is the answer! For this delicacy, you’ll need some refrigerated linguine, and lemon juice, among other herbs and spices that will make your dish so much more flavorful.
Caprese Mac ‘N’ Cheese
Here’s another one of our Italian pasta recipes that’s a variation of the classic! You can add a tomato layer and some Caprese sauce made of different seasonings and spices. Tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil also add a fresh twist to the good ol’ mac and cheese.
Chicken Cacciatore Pasta
Chicken cacciatore is another Italian classic dish that is very versatile. This stew can be served with different carb foods and in this case– pasta! You can make this with some chicken, tomatoes and other veggies, spices and fresh herbs, olive and capers, and your preferred seasonings.
Lasagna Roll-Ups
We’ll end this list of Italian pasta recipes with a twist on the classics! These are just as good as the classics – that’s why they’re also featured in our 20 Weight Watchers Recipes With Points article. You can spread some marinara sauce, seasonings, spinach, and cheeses on some lasagna noodles and roll ‘em up. Oh, and did we mention that they make the perfect to-go dishes?
Why Pasta?
Pasta has garnered a bad rep over the past couple of years but don’t you worry – pasta has tons of health benefits. It is a great source of complex carbohydrates so it’s good at keeping you, your energy, and your productivity fueled.
It’s also a part of a well-balanced diet and when it’s combined with protein and veggies, you’d be good to go. Pasta is also low-sodium, cholesterol free, and fortified with folic acid. With pasta, you can also have a great source of Omega-3 and protein. Oh, and they’re really low in calories!
With our Italian pasta recipes you can try out, you won’t only have a healthy and hearty meal, but you’ll also have flavorful and delicious dishes!
