Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinner 43 Easy Pasta Dinners the Whole Family Will Love By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Whether you're in the mood for hearty comfort food or a light, bright summer pasta, you can never have too many pasta supper ideas. Pasta dishes are a great thing to have in your repertoire, especially these easy pasta recipes that won't take up too much precious weeknight time. Need a one-pot supper? Pasta to the rescue! Had a long day, tiresome day? Mix up a batch of our gooey macaroni and cheese and put your feet up. Unexpected drop-in guests? Wow them with fancier-than-it-looks skillet pasta. When we're planning a dinner that we want every member of the family to enjoy, pasta dishes always come to mind. Plus, we're sure you probably have at least one box of pasta on hand in your pantry at all times. With this collection of our favorite pasta recipes, you'll always have at least one dish to turn to in a pinch. Plus, these dishes are all so easy to put together and feed a whole family. The kids will definitely be coming back for seconds. 01 of 43 Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole Greg DuPree Recipe: Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole Chicken, penne, and cream sauce come together to create an all-star dinner casserole. 02 of 43 Chicken-and-Broccoli Pasta Bake Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Chicken-and-Broccoli Pasta Bake Ready in just 35 minutes, this comforting pasta dish is a great way to sneak in some veggies. 03 of 43 Baked Ziti with Chicken Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Baked Ziti with Chicken Instead of ground beef, this new version of classic baked ziti calls for store-bought rotisserie chicken. 04 of 43 Baked Tortellini Alfredo With Mushrooms Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Tortellini Alfredo With Mushrooms A quick broil just before removing your skillet from the oven will give you a bubbly, golden-brown finish. 05 of 43 Beefy Baked Ravioli with Spinach and Cheese Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Beefy Baked Ravioli with Spinach and Cheese Refrigerated ravioli helps dinner come together in just 35 minutes. 06 of 43 Buttermilk Alfredo Chicken Spinach Pasta Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Buttermilk Alfredo Chicken Spinach Pasta Although this recipe calls for rigatoni, you can use whatever type of pasta you have on hand. 07 of 43 Pasta with Pancetta, Artichokes, and Roasted Red Peppers Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Pasta with Pancetta, Artichokes, and Roasted Red Peppers This five-ingredient pasta is packed with flavor thanks to some high-impact ingredients: salty pancetta, briny artichokes, and smoky roasted peppers. The juices come together to make a light and luscious pasta sauce, too. 08 of 43 Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs You can cook every component for a classic spaghetti and meatball dinner in just one pot thanks to your multi-cooker. 09 of 43 Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas Convenience items like pre-peeled shrimp, frozen peas, and store-bought pesto help this filling pasta dish come together in under 30 minutes. 10 of 43 Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Egg noodles serve at the base for a simple ground beef mixture that the whole family will love. 11 of 43 One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo This recipe uses Cajun seasoning, fresh garlic, and Parmesan cheese to deliver plenty of flavor in just one pot. 12 of 43 Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely Recipe: Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta High-heat cooking cherry tomatoes releases their natural juices to form a flavorful sauce. Quick-cooking shrimp means everything is ready in less than 30 minutes. 13 of 43 Baked Ziti with Sausage Southern Living Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage We used three types of cheese to make sure this baked ziti is oh-so-cheesy. 14 of 43 Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce You're just 25 minutes away from dinnertime bliss. We recommend using fresh shrimp, not frozen, for the best flavor. 15 of 43 One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta You need just one pot and 35 minutes to get this fajita pasta dinner on the table. 16 of 43 Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Freshen up your tried-and-true pasta casserole with bright green kale. A creamy sauce keeps this 30-minute pasta bake feeling appropriately cheesy and indulgent. 17 of 43 Meatball Pasta Bake Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Meatball Pasta Bake While they may not be the usual ingredients, orange juice and fennel add a bright flavor to this pasta bake. 18 of 43 Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta Shrimp, corn, and smoked sausage form the base for this warm-weather pasta dish with a nice Cajun kick. 19 of 43 One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta We cook the pasta for this dish in chicken stock to create a rich and silky sauce. 20 of 43 Mushroom Stroganoff Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Mushroom Stroganoff Smoked paprika adds depth to this meatless dish. 21 of 43 Tomato Carbonara Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Tomato Carbonara This vegetarian-friendly version of your favorite pasta dish swaps bacon for burst cherry tomatoes. 22 of 43 Shrimp and Peas with Farfalle Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Shrimp and Peas with Farfalle You'll swoon over the lemony breadcrumbs that top this dish. If you're looking to save even more time, skip the fresh English peas and opt for frozen peas that have been thawed instead. 23 of 43 Sweet Pepper Pasta with Sausage Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Sweet Pepper Pasta with Sausage Who knew sweet peppers and sausage could be such a winning combination? 24 of 43 Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Alison Miksch Recipe: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Have some surplus from your farmers' market haul? Add your extra produce to this catch-all, summery baked ziti. 25 of 43 Cabbage, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta Greg DuPree Recipe: Cabbage, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta This one skillet, one pot dish makes cooking an elegant dinner easier than ever. 26 of 43 Spaghetti Casserole Jennifer Davick Recipe: Spaghetti Casserole Southerners love our casseroles, and it doesn't get much easier than this Spaghetti Casserole. 27 of 43 Quick and Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Greg DuPree Recipe: Quick and Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Have a pack of ground beef on hand? Make this easy Spaghetti Bolognese your go-to dinner solution. 28 of 43 Ham and Noodle Casserole Jen Causey Recipe: Ham and Noodle Casserole Whether you want to serve it up for dinner or make it to freeze for later, this noodle casserole comes together in 45 minutes. 29 of 43 Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese Southern Living Recipe: Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese With this recipe, you can enjoy the flavors of tacos even on pasta night. 30 of 43 One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards Greg DuPree Recipe: One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards No one will ever suspect that a meal this elegant was cooking in just one pan. Talk about no cleanup! 31 of 43 Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling Torie Cox Recipe: Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas A stunning dish of gnocchi is shockingly easy to make – just pick up a package of the potato pasta at the grocery store and toss it in your skillet. 32 of 43 Cheesy Sheet Pan Pasta Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Fusilli Pasta with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon Pasta, cooked and crisped to perfection on a sheet pan? Don't knock it until you try it. 33 of 43 Winter Vegetables and Gnocchi Greg DuPree Recipe: Winter Vegetables and Gnocchi This balanced bowl gives you full servings of vegetables and pasta in one, making it the ideal winter weeknight supper. 34 of 43 Shrimp Alfredo Micah A. Leal Recipe:Shrimp Alfredo Add some seafood to your weeknight dinner with this incredibly simple shrimp Alfredo recipe. It's delectable and perfect for a spring supper. 35 of 43 Pasta Shells with Spring Vegetables Alison Miksch Recipe: Pasta Shells with Spring Vegetables Pea tendrils, the tender tips of pea vines that taste just like the peas, make an unexpected and charming garnish. 36 of 43 Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake Iain Bagwell Recipe: Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake Tortellini, chicken, broccoli, butter crackers, and pecans compose this casserole that bursts with flavor and texture. 37 of 43 Cacio e Pepe Heidi's Bridge Recipe: Cacio e Pepe You'll need just four ingredients for this simple, classic recipe. 38 of 43 Beefy Butternut Squash Pasta Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero Recipe: Beefy Butternut Squash Pasta With substantial pieces of butternut squash and browned beef, this pasta is a whole meal in one bowl. 39 of 43 Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna A container of refrigerated pesto adds distinctive flavor to this basic beef-and-cheese lasagna, and the unbaked lasagna can be frozen for up to three months. 40 of 43 Mac and Cheese with Ham Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham Add some ham to mac and cheese to turn the classic side into a dinner-worthy casserole. 41 of 43 Pizza Spaghetti Casserole Beth Dreiling; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Pizza Spaghetti Casserole It's amazing what you can do with a jar of pasta sauce and packet of pepperoni. This casserole combines two family favorites. 42 of 43 Spinach Ravioli Lasagna Van Chaplin Recipe: Spinach Ravioli Lasagna This top-rated spinach-ravioli lasagna uses convenience items, like store-bought pesto sauce, jarred Alfredo sauce, and frozen cheese-filled ravioli, to deliver a delicious main dish with little time and effort on your part. 43 of 43 Chicken-and-Broccoli Skillet Pasta Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Chicken-and-Broccoli Skillet Pasta From the stove to the oven to the table, you can cook and serve this pasta dish all in one skillet. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit