Pasta Recipes for Whenever You Need a Pick-Me-Up

Spinach is chock full of vitamins and minerals — no wonder it’s a food you should eat every day. Toss as many leafy greens as you like into this meaty and cheesy lasagna.

For the Spinach and Sausage Lasagna recipe, click here.

This noodle bowl requires only a short time commitment -- just 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. Then, you can go on about your day streaming happy shows or exploring a new hobby. 

For the Sesame Peanut Noodle Bowl recipe, click here.

Loaded with veggies, bowtie pasta and red kidney beans, this cold-weather stew turns from a side soup to a full entree thanks to the addition of Italian-style turkey sausage. 

For the Italian Style Soup with Turkey Sausage recipe, click here.

America’s most popular vegetable teams up with penne in this classic pasta pairing. Sprinkle yours with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. 

For the Penne With Broccoli recipe, click here.

Of course, pasta can be eaten cold too. Cold side dishes, like this cucumber and dill pasta salad, are especially satisfying on hot days when you fire up the grill. 

For the Cucumber and Dill Pasta Salad recipe, click here.

Macaroni and cheese is the undisputed crown jewel of comfort foods. The best mac recipes, like this melty masterpiece, are creamy, cheesy and contain the perfect amount of elbow pasta. 

For the Gooey, Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe, click here.

In the mood for traditional Mexican food and a hefty helping of pasta? Cook these sauteed shrimp in garlic, onion, poblano pepper and cilantro sauce. Then, pile all that over a plate of pasta.

For the Camarones Con Rajas recipe, click here.

Coat your choice of regular or whole grain linguine in a chunky tomato sauce and toss with zesty herbs and fresh veggies for an easy home-cooked meal. Buon appetito, a taste of Tuscany in 40 minutes. 

For the Tuscan Pasta recipe, click here.

Cast-iron pans are capable of more than you know, starting with this easy pasta skillet. Plus, chances are you have all the required ingredients — spaghetti sauce, ground beef, penne, mozzarella and Parmesan — already on hand. 

For the Easy Pasta Skillet recipe, click here.

This simple spaghetti carbonara calls for six ingredients and 30 minutes, that’s all. However, be sure you avoid common pasta mistakes like using too small of a pot or forgetting to add oil and salt to the water. 

For the Simple Spaghetti Carbonara recipe, click here.

Put leftover turkey and day-old egg noodles to use in this poultry take on a classic tuna noodle casserole. You will also need a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas and bread crumbs. 

For the Turkey Noodle Casserole recipe, click here.

This leftover Tex-Mex turkey noodle bake packs a classic Southwestern kick thanks to green chiles, tomatoes and onions.  

For the Southwestern Turkey Noodle Bake recipe, click here.

Cheat your way to a rich alfredo sauce using this simple cream cheese recipe. Combine it with loads of milk, butter, garlic, salt and pepper for a taste of restaurant-style alfredo at home. 

For the Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce recipe, click here.

Roughly translating to “cheese and pepper,” cacio e pepe is a Roman pasta dish as simple as its name suggests. This international meal was thought to be the best for Roman shepherds, who made it with the few simple dry ingredients they could carry on their travels. 

For Lupa's Cacio e Pepe recipe, click here.

A piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup clears the senses, raises the spirits and warms the heart. It is the must-have fall-season soup for good reason. 

For the Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, click here.

Add this creamy pesto pasta to your weeknight dinner rotation and you will not be sorry. It takes just 30 minutes to make and tastes straight out of a top-notch Italian restaurant. 

For the Creamy Pesto Pasta recipe, click here.

Yes, cooking with your child is cute in theory. However, with youngsters, a culinary craft may be your best shot at not creating a kitchen catastrophe. Assist your grade-schooler with dying uncooked pasta and allow them to fashion it into fine jewelry. 

For the Playtime Pasta recipe, click here.

This kid-friendly lunch will surely please tweens, teens and grownups alike. It combines to classic lunches, a ham sandwich and mac and cheese, into one delicious dish.

For the Ham and Swiss Mac and Cheese recipe, click here.

Coat your choice of homemade noodles with this convenient copycat recipe, Noodles & Company’s velvety onion cream sauce. Paired with classic or cauliflower rigatoni, it will surely impress at any at-home dinner date night. 

For the Noodles & Company's Light Onion Cream Sauce recipe, click here.

Save money on store-bought tomato sauce. Instead, make your own at home following this simple recipe from a sophisticated New York Italian eatery. 

For the Scarpetta's Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce recipe, click here.

Immune-system-boosting spinach and blood-pressure-lowering tomatoes costar in a penne pasta salad worth every cent. Drain cooked penne pasta in a mix of oil, marjoram, vinegar, rosemary, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Then, toss to coat. 

For the Penne Pasta Salad with Spinach and Tomatoes recipe, click here.

Air fryers allow for at-home frying without all the pesky oil. So set up a breading station, prepare the pasta and marinara and brace yourself for a fuss-free and altogether amazing dinner. 

For the Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe, click here.

Take a romantic adventure to the South of France without leaving your kitchen. This spicy pasta provençal packs a hefty, flavorful punch thanks in part to the olive oil, cherry tomatoes, capers and olives. 

For the Spicy Pasta Provençal recipe, click here.

Chicken noodle may be the cult favorite, but turkey noodle is coming for its crown. This recipe calls for all the usual veggie ingredients and will surely meet every requirement you could have for a cold-weather pick-me-up. 

For the Turkey Noodle Soup recipe, click here.

Here’s a restaurant secret you ought to know, always finish cooking your pasta in the sauce. This baked ziti allows for pasta to finish cooking alongside homemade tomato sauce and dollops of delicious cheese in the oven for half an hour. 

For the Baked Ziti recipe, click here.

Back to mac. Put a pasta twist on an easy weeknight chicken dinner. This one-hour buffalo chicken mac and cheese gains its bold flavors from sriracha, fire-roasted tomatoes, jalapenos, Gruyere, blue cheese and smoked mozzarella. 

For the Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese recipe, click here.

Your pasta can use a seasonal upgrade. So pile on the pumpkin with this recipe that goes far beyond the usual pumpkin pie. 

For the Fettuccine Pumpkin Alfredo recipe, click here.

A beautifully baked lasagna can change the course of your night. It’s just one of those classic recipes you can count on to please a crowd, fill hungry bellies and make for delectable next-day leftovers. 

For the Easy Homemade Lasagna recipe, click here.

A reservation at Carbone, a premiere special occasion restaurant in New York, can be tough to snag. Lucky for you, this copycat recipe comes close to the original all at a fraction of the cost and in the comfort of your own home.  

For the Copycat Carbone Spicy Rigatoni Vodka recipe, click here.

Cook macaroni with ground beef, tomatoes, broth and more for an in-a-pinch upgrade to your best chili recipe. This one-pan dish will make for quick cleanup too. More time for dessert. 

For the Hearty Chili Roni recipe, click here.  

This chicken recipe is anything but boring. Seasoned with a mixture of oregano, garlic and basil, this dish is sure to smell as great as it tastes. 

For the Chicken Bruschetta Pasta recipe, click here.

Turns out you can make more than lemonade when life gives you lemons. This low-carb recipe gets extra brownie points for being vegetarian. 

For the Noodles & Company's Zoodles and Asparagus with Lemon Cream Sauce recipe, click here.

Noodle kugel is a super easy and sweet side dish made by baking egg noodles, butter, cottage cheese, eggs, sugar and a little cinnamon and vanilla. This traditional, iconic Hanukkah dish is great for any day you need a pick-me-up.

For the Noodle Kugel recipe, click here.

Easy casseroles and pasta bakes are great for whenever you want to let the oven do most of the cooking. So prepare a stellar ground turkey tomato sauce, layer it between penne pasta and ricotta cheese, bake and try to forget you still need to do the dishes. 

For the Tomato Florentine Pasta Bake recipe, click here.

Serve up this slow cooker beef and pasta chili on game day alongside some perfect homemade chicken wings and the best beer money can buy. 

For the Slow Cooker Chili Beef 'n Pasta recipe, click here.

This homemade spinach lasagna is made for meatless Mondays. It’s a vegetarian comfort food you can make ahead and freeze for nights when all you muster is the will to move a single pan from the freezer to the oven. 

For the Easy Spinach Lasagna recipe, click here.

This garden veggie mac and cheese is the ideal Instant Pot recipe for beginners. The added greens make the meal even more delicious and nutritious.

For the Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Garden Veggies recipe, click here.

Although Jambalaya is a Cajun dish traditionally made with rice, you can serve up all the typical regional spices and seafood flavors like they do at The Cheesecake Factory, over a bed of linguini. 

For The Cheesecake Factory's Cajun Jambalaya Pasta recipe, click here.

Cut an hour off your lasagna prep time by turning it into a hearty soup cooked in a single saucepan. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve alongside pasta’s perfect sidekick, garlic bread. 

For the Lasagna Soup recipe, click here.

In this recipe, soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles, is served with brain-boosting cod in a spicy tomato broth seasoned with soy sauce, ginger and red pepper. 

For the Cod with Soba Noodles in Spicy Tomato Broth recipe, click here.

Here comes the sun … dried tomatoes. This bright chicken and pasta dish takes under a half-hour to prepare. So go ahead and make it a permanent addition to your weekly meal plan. 

For the Creamy Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Penne recipe, click here.

Who knew spiked cider was an unexpected ingredient that goes great with mac and cheese? Follow this recipe for a fall-tastic take on a traditional macaroni dinner. 

For Cider Spiked Angry Mac & Cheese recipe, click here.

Impress a special someone by putting together this white wine clam sauce and pouring it over perfectly cooked linguine. There is enough food for four here, so save some for tomorrow too. 

For the White Wine Clam Sauce Over Linguine recipe, click here.

This difficult but impressive dish may take some added effort but the results are surely worth the work. The single serving size of this mushroom and sausage lasagnetta — from Brooklyn's Roman eatery Antica Pesa — allows for maximum customization. 

For the Mushroom and Sausage Lasagnetta recipe, click here.

You can do more than grill shrimp. Instead, cook yours in a large saucepan with broccoli and plain pasta. Then, coat with a creamy sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

For the Mediterranean Shrimp with Penne recipe, click here.

Stir seasonal produce, Italian dressing and penne, rotini or fusilli together for a fusion of crisp summer flavors. Be sure to allocate four hours of time for the salad to refrigerate before serving. 

For the Supreme Pasta Salad recipe, click here.

Prepare this homemade ricotta ravioli recipe in large batches, allow them to freeze on a floured sheet pan and transfer to a freezer bag for long-term storage. Remember to boil the frozen pasta in heavily salted water for the most flavorful results.

For the Homemade Ricotta Ravioli in a Butter and Sage Sauce recipe, click here.

This recipe may take some work to prepare and cook, but the hard work is short-lived. All you need is one hour to cook and prepare this restaurant-style eggplant parmesan. 

For the Restaurant-Style Eggplant Parmesan recipe, click here.

Penne pasta is a freezer-friendly food that makes for easy leftover meals the next day. Put day-old penne to use in a refreshing pasta salad with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. 

For the Penne with Black Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Feta and Spinach recipe, click here.

We close out our journey through pasta perfection with these stuffed jumbo pasta shells. They are simple to make and one of the best comfort foods you can make ahead and freeze.

For the Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells recipe, click here.

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