Want to cook at home more often instead of turning to takeout? It’s a great goal for any time of year. But if you often find yourself at a loss for what to make on busy weeknights when the family is hungry, you’re not alone. It’s a familiar scenario for many home cooks, especially during the back-to-work, back-to-school, post-holiday rush. Fortunately, pasta’s a quick and easy, crowd-pleasing solution waiting on standby in the pantry. Not to mention it’s comforting and cozy on dreary winter nights. While tossing cooked noodles in jarred sauce is a great option for a quick meal, a few extra ingredients and minutes of prep can turn the affordable kitchen staple into a truly memorable meal. These super easy pasta recipes showcase the delicious versatility of boxed pasta and are ready to satisfy in 40 minutes or less with little effort.
Cottage Cheese Fettuccine Alfredo
This fettuccine Alfredo delivers all the comforting flavors of the classic with fewer calories and just five minutes of prep. Low-fat cottage cheese is the shortcut to a creamy, noodle-hugging sauce rounded out with baby spinach for a balanced, vegetarian-friendly meal.
Get the recipe: Cottage Cheese Fettuccine Alfredo
One Pot French Onion Pasta
This recipe captures the best parts of bistro-style French onion soup and turns them into a family-friendly pasta dish. Caramelized onions, fresh thyme, beef broth, and plenty of melty Swiss cheese add rich flavor to orecchiette noodles for the perfect hearty dinner.
Get the recipe: One Pot French Onion Pasta
Almost Instant Creamy Mac and Cheese
A store-bought helper of pre-cooked macaroni noodles gets this creamy dinner on the table in under 10 minutes. The noodles cook in the microwave while the four-ingredient sauce (packed with Cheddar and American cheese) bubbles on the stovetop. Bonus: A touch of mustard powder takes this superfast meal from average to spectacular.
Get the recipe: Almost Instant Creamy Mac and Cheese
One Pot Spaghetti with Meat and Mushroom Ragu
When a long day leaves you wanting both a satisfying dinner and minimal cleanup afterward, this one-pot pasta is just the ticket. Spaghetti cooks directly in jarred marinara sauce that becomes a hearty ragu with the addition of sauteed mushrooms and ground beef.
Get the recipe: One Pot Spaghetti with Meat and Mushroom Ragu
Pasta with Chickpeas
This take on an Italian classic, pasta e ceci, wins the award for the most affordable, speediest meatless dinner ever. Pasta shells are the ideal shape for catching every bit of a rustic, chunky sauce made with mashed chickpeas, canned tomatoes, and green onions. Make sure you have the ingredients in your pantry for the next time you need a filling, delicious pasta meal in just 20 minutes.
Get the recipe: Pasta with Chickpeas
Rotini with Eggplant and Feta
This under-20-minute, vegetarian-friendly dish is equally delicious served warm as a main course or cold as a pasta salad. Rotini tossed with sauteed eggplant and tomatoes gets a dose of Greek-inspired flavor from kalamata olives, feta, and Greek vinaigrette.
Get the recipe: Rotini with Eggplant and Feta
One Pot Cheesy Beef Macaroni
If you’re feeding teenagers with bottomless appetites, this macaroni and cheese-meat sauce mashup is a winner. Boxed mac and cheese goes next level when combined with seasoned ground beef and jarred marinara in this quick-to-prep dinner.
Get the recipe: One Pot Cheesy Beef Macaroni
Creamy Pasta with Peas
This recipe is another way to use cottage cheese as a shortcut to creamy, satisfying flavor. Combined with frozen peas, garlic, and a hint of fresh lemon, it makes an irresistible sauce over ruffly noodles for a kid-friendly dinner in 20 minutes.
Get the recipe: Creamy Pasta with Peas
Easy Taco Pasta
When one person wants Tex-Mex, another wants pasta, and all you want is a low-lift dinner in half an hour, it’s taco pasta to the rescue. Rotini replaces tortillas in this five-ingredient recipe that features the flavors of cheesy beef tacos in a pasta dish.
Get the recipe: Easy Taco Pasta
Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Veggies
A complete dinner is ready in just 15 minutes with this recipe that leans on a few store-bought helpers. Frozen riced cauliflower and frozen diced onions bulk up jarred marinara sauce studded with flavorful chicken sausage over angel hair pasta.
Get the recipe: Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Veggies
One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
Creamy, mild-flavored ricotta and fresh lemon are a classic Italian flavor pairing. Here, they form the base of a luscious, no-cook sauce with Parmesan over curly noodles flecked with wilted spinach that’s ready in 17 minutes.
Get the recipe: One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
Weeknight Lemon Herb Chicken Pasta
Put a complete, satisfying meal on the table in a flash with this five-ingredient pasta starring sauteed chicken breast and broccoli. Store-bought lemon and herb finishing butter and pre-cooked noodles help get it across the finish line in 15 minutes.
Get the recipe: Weeknight Lemon Herb Chicken Pasta
Mushroom Marsala Pasta
Fans of chicken Marsala will love this plant-powered version made with whole-grain rotini. Sauteed baby bella mushrooms replace the meat in a savory sauce with the traditional flavors of garlic and dry Marsala wine.
Get the recipe: Mushroom Marsala Pasta
One Pot Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Marinara
When the family is craving pasta, you can’t go wrong with a classic, especially when it preps in five minutes and uses a single pot. Simply toss the spaghetti in meat sauce made with ground beef and jarred marinara and finish with an ooey-gooey Italian cheese blend topper and dinner is ready.
Get the recipe: One Pot Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Marinara
Creamed Spinach Linguine
No one will complain about eating their greens with this recipe inspired by a classic steakhouse side that preps in one minute. A combo of frozen creamed and fresh baby spinach forms the base of a thick, creamy sauce over linguine garnished with fresh basil.
Get the recipe: Creamed Spinach Linguine
Spaghetti Puttanesca
Keep the ingredients for this bold Italian classic on standby in the kitchen for a never-fail meal anytime. Capers, olives, anchovies, and garlic pack flavor when cooked with canned tomatoes in this weeknight-ready riff on pasta puttanesca.
Get the recipe: Spaghetti Puttanesca
