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These convenient, delicious, quick pasta recipes require essential ingredients and are ready in 15 minutes. They make the perfect family meals when you need dinner on the table in no time.
Published on Jun 2020 /Updated on Nov 2024
To all the pasta lovers out there, here are a few perfect quick pasta recipes for your midweek meals: terrific bowls of pasta that you can rustle up using your pantry staples, veggies, or cheese leftovers.
From the most popular cream cheese pasta and ricotta pasta to my family favorites like spaghetti with garlic and olive oil or full with juicy cherry tomatoes.
They’re super easy yet delicious and packed with flavor. They’re mostly vegetarian, budget-friendly, and perfect to please the whole family.
These fantastic pasta dishes require simple ingredients like olive oil, fresh or canned tomatoes, cheese, potatoes, olives, mushrooms, herbs, and garlic—always garlic!
These easy and quick pasta recipes are lifesavers when you decide that pasta is for dinner, and they get it all: flavor, convenience, and simplicity.
A delicious bowl of flavorsome pasta, anyone?
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Creamy, indulgent, and delicious, this cream cheese pasta has received hundreds of rave reviews, and for good reason! It's versatile, easy, quick, and perfect for the whole family.
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This quick spinach pesto pasta is fresh, flavorful, and delicious. It's fantastic for getting your daily leafy greens without even realizing it!
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You'll love this wonderfully creamy and fast pasta recipe! It uses only a handful of ingredients, has hundreds of rave reviews, and tastes absolutely amazing.
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This lemon pasta is tossed with homemade lemon dressing, fresh herbs, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. It's ridiculously simple and economical, and it's a crowd-pleaser ready in 15 minutes flat.
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This simple yet flavorful pasta dish is so yummy that everyone will lick their plates clean! You can use fresh or jarred basil pesto; the recipe comes together in a breeze.
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Discover how to make this classic Italian spaghetti Aglio e Olio. It requires few inexpensive ingredients and is ready in just 10 minutes. Delicious and flavorful, it’s perfect for sharing with friends or a quick dinner after a long day.
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This delicious sun-dried tomato pasta features creamy ricotta, flavorful sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil, making it an excellent and quick meal in under 15 minutes!
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You only need a few pantry staples to whip up this scrumptious pasta puttanesca. This simple Italian pasta recipe packs big flavors, perfect for jazzing up your midweek dinner.
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Few things can rival the feeling of satisfying a craving for a bowl of creamy pasta. This easy, quick recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you want a comforting and delicious meal on the table in no time.
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Here is another favorite of mine, a bowl of penne arrabbiata that comes together quickly using just pantry staples. It's easy, full of flavor, and so satisfying!
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Made with convenient canned artichokes, a touch of cream, and savory parmesan, this quick artichoke pasta makes a fabulous treat perfect for a busy weeknight or when you’ve got company.
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The amazing gorgonzola sauce requires only two ingredients and is a breeze to make. Toss your pasta in, finish with crispy walnuts for a fantastic texture and flavor contrast, and you'll have a fabulous pasta dish ready in 15 minutes.
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If you love mushrooms, you'll love this quick and flavorful spaghetti. The smell of garlic, the flavored gravy released from the mushrooms, and the parmesan cheese—a fantastic pasta dish that is on the table in 15 minutes—are what's not to love.
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Turn butter, garlic, parmesan, lemons, and starchy cooking water into a lemon garlic butter sauce that beautifully coats your pasta. It’s fresh, silky, delicious, and sure to please your taste buds.
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Not to brag, but this is the tomato basil pasta we all need! Burst ripe cherry tomato juice, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic make the most delicious, economical, quick pasta sauce, perfect for an impromptu pasta night.
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In just 15 minutes and a few simple ingredients like a glass of white wine, you can whip up a delicious white wine pasta that's fresh, flavorful, and perfect for adding your favorite extras.
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Does pasta with carrots sound like an unlikely combination? Trust me, it’s amazingly delicious. The pasta is tossed with garlicky carrots, parsley, parmesan cheese, and crispy breadcrumbs and finished with lemon juice to bring everything together.
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This is another tomato pasta recipe that requires minimal ingredients and little effort. Juicy, sweet tomatoes combined with garlic, olive oil, and tons of fresh basil make one of the greatest pasta salads ever.
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There are absolutely zero fancy things going on here, apart from the essential ingredients you have in your pantry right now! It's quick, easy, flavorful, and packed with protein.
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In this delicious and quick recipe, the spaghetti is tossed with sautéed spinach and crispy breadcrumbs flavored with garlic, lemon, and parmesan cheese. It's ready in a breeze and packed with flavor!
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What about simple spaghetti smothered in a decadent butter garlic sauce? It's so simple yet full of flavor, the kind of meal that you can jazz up with your favorite add-ins if you wish.
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If zucchini is in season, this recipe is for you! The zucchini slices are sauteed with olive oil and garlic until slightly golden, tender, and sweet. Next, add the pasta and cheese and toss with some starchy pasta water. Done!
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Enjoy this creamy spaghetti for the ultimate weekday family dinner. The sauce uses minimal ingredients, requires no cooking, and is easy to customize with your favorite protein or veggies. Yum.
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This flavorful pasta with olives is one of my family favorites, and It's excellent for making a quick and delicious pasta dish with just a handful of essential ingredients.
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Fresh, velvety, and full of lemon flavor, this spaghetti recipe uses minimal ingredients and is ready in no time. It's also flexible, versatile, and perfectly pairs with your favorite veggies or protein.
WHAT’S THE BEST PASTA?
When you choose pasta, look at the label. Choose durum wheat semolina pasta, possibly made with brass or bronze dies. Premium-quality pasta is a bit more expensive than basic pasta, but it’s resilient, has a more robust texture, and beautifully holds sauces. Yes, brands matter, and even if you cook on a budget or are short on time, you deserve a delicious bowl of pasta packed with flavor!
More pasta recipes you’ll love
Here are other delicious pasta recipes, super easy and ready in less than 30 minutes:
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If you make one of these quick pasta recipes, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo on Instagram.
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25 Quick Pasta Recipes
This selection of amazing yet quick pasta recipes will spoil you for choice. Start with this incredible spinach spaghetti, which is ready in about 15 minutes and full of flavor!
Spaghetti
- 8 oz (220 grams) Spaghetti (or any other long pasta cut)
Instructions
Spinach with garlic crumbs
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons garlic cloves, divided
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ½ lb (220 grams) baby spinach
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook the spaghetti until al dente (follow the package instructions). Reserve ½ cups of hot pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Toast the breadcrumbs: Heat ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 garlic clove, breadcrumb, and chili flakes and cook, stirring often, until golden—about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan, transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
- Cook the spinach: Place the skillet back on the stove, add the rest of the olive oil and 1 minced garlic clove, and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of pasta cooking water and the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until wilted. Turn the heat off, taste, and season accordingly.
- Assemble and serve: Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain, and add the spaghetti to the skillet. Add lemon juice and breadcrumb mixture, tossing until well combined. Taste to make sure you're happy with the overall flavor (you might prefer more salt or lemon juice), then serve immediately with more grated parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for its fruity flavor, or chili flakes for some heat. Enjoy!
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