Welcome to a world of nutritious noodle dishes with these 35 healthy pasta recipes.
From one-pot pasta to bow-tie pasta salads, this list offers classic favorites and new combinations to nourish your body and delight your taste buds.
Each recipe balances flavor and nutrition, incorporating lean proteins, vibrant vegetables, and wholesome ingredients.
Whether looking for quick weeknight meals or impressive dishes for entertaining, these recipes prove that pasta can be both satisfying and good for you.
Browse this list and choose from vegetable bolognese and arrabbiata to pesto, mushroom sauce, and pasta salad.
Best of all, most of them are 30-minute meals, making them excellent for family dinners.
Our 35 best healthy pasta recipes
Peanut Noodles
The first meal on our pasta list is an Asian-inspired dish with peanut sauce and linguine pasta.
Add fresh veggies and steamed broccoli, and you will have a nourishing and amazingly tasty meal.
Pasta e Fagioli
Beans and pasta make a delicious flavor combination in this one-pot recipe.
Try the combination of kidney and pinto beans with ditalini pasta cooked in a creamy tomato base.
Pasta Puttanesca
Next on our list is a vegetarian dinner with fresh parsley, olives, capers, and tomato sauce.
It takes just 20 minutes to make and works well as a weeknight dinner idea.
Mushroom Bolognese
Mushroom raguย is a bold, rich,ย flavor-packed sauce recipeย for your favorite pasta, polenta, gnocchi, or lasagna.
Our recipe is perfect forย everyday family dinners. Itโs ready in about 30 minutes, and you can make it withย simple ingredients.
Vegan Pasta Salad
Ourย vegan pasta saladย combines fresh andย crunchy vegetablesย withย chewy pastaย and aย tangy Italian dressing.
You can have this forย lunch, dinner, or meal prep. Itโs a gorgeous dish, andย itโll make you feel great.
Vegan Mushroom Pasta
This vegan mushroom pastaย is an easy and wholesome recipe. The earthy flavor of sautรฉed mushrooms melds with juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes to create a tasty sauce.
This recipe takes 20 minutes to prepare. Itโs perfect for everyday dinners and excellent for entertaining, too!
Broccoli Pasta
Pasta with broccoliย is one of theย tastiest,ย easiest, andย creamiestย pasta dishes you can make in 20 minutes with six simple ingredients.
Red pepper pasta
Roasted red pepper pastaย is one of theย creamiest,ย easiest, andย tastiestย pasta dishes, and you can make it with a few simple ingredients.
It's excellent as a quick weekday dinner with wholesome plant-based protein (from almonds and pasta).
Chickpea Pasta Salad
Protein-packed and flavorful, this chickpea pasta salad is great for summer cookouts and a potluck meal.
This pasta saladย is tasty, easy, and nutritious, perfect for when you want something healthy and satiating.
Rigatoni Arrabbiata
Rigatoni Arrabbiataย is a classic Italian pasta dish with aย spicy tomato-based sauceย and aย bold and rustic flavor.
It's nade with simple and easy to find ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
Tofu Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Tofu meatballsย are a quick, tasty, and nutritious alternative to meat-based meatballs. They are packed withย flavor, protein, and nutrition.
You can make this tofu recipe with pantry staples and bake the meatballs in just 20 minutes.
Marinara Sauce
Our basic recipe for many delicious healthy pasta dishes is a rich and versatile marinara sauce.
This tomato sauce is excellent with pasta, veggies, parmigiana, and pasta bakes.
Penne Arrabbiata
Ready in 20 minutes and super creamy, penne arrabbiata is an Italian classic with wholesome ingredients.
Our recipe shows you how toย add delicious plant-based sausageย to transform traditional penne arrabbiata into aย nutritious, tasty, high-protein dinner.
Tomato Basil Pasta
Next on our list is an easy and healthy pasta recipe with easy-to-find ingredients.
This tomato basil pasta (pomodoro pasta) is made with fresh basil, canned tomatoes, and spaghetti.
Lentil bolognese
Lentil bologneseย is theย meat-free versionย of a classic Italian sauce,ย ragรน alla Bolognese.
Lentils are anย excellent ground meat replacementย because they have a rich earthy taste and areย rich in minerals, iron, and plant protein.
Fregola pasta
Fregola is easy to cook, and you can use it to make healthy pasta salads or easy pasta recipes.
Here, weโll show youย how to cook it in one potย in 30 minutesย with mixed vegetables, broth, herbs, and cheese for an easy, creamy, and protein-packed meal.
Zucchini Pasta
This zucchini pasta recipe is a great way toย eat more vegetables without realizing it.
The dish comes together inย about 20 minutes; itโsย nutritious, creamy, fulfillingand excellent as a light dinner idea.
Lentil Pasta
Lentils combined with pasta make aย tasty, wholesome, and nutritious meal.
In this recipe, you cook them together in the same pot and add cherry tomatoes for an Italian comforting pasta dinner.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Basil pesto makes a creamy dressing in this vegetable-packed pasta salad.
Add olives, cherry tomatoes, and green beans for a colorful and nutritious dish.
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is an easy and wholesome dinner idea.
We make it withย roasted eggplantsย andย canned whole peeled tomatoes for an everyday dish that isย healthy and satiating.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Ourย 3-ingredient sweet potatoย gnocchi is a delicious, comforting, and cozy Italian-inspired dish.
This simple and tasty recipe can be made in about 30 minutes and served as a healthy meal with your family.
White Bean Aglio Olio
Add plant-based protein to your aglio e olio pasta with this white bean pasta.
All you have to do isย toss a can of drained white beansย in the aglio e olio sauce, add the spaghetti, and enjoy your dinner.
Tortellini Soup
This soup recipe isย easy to make in one pot, and you can customize it with your favoriteย vegetables,ย herbs, andย stuffed pasta.
Tortellini soup is a satisfying and deliciousย weeknight family mealย all year round.
Hummus Pasta
This hummus pasta is excellent for when youย have little time to cook.ย
Creamy hummus, tasty sauteed mushrooms, and al dente rigatoni make a quick and nutritiousย pastaย for a fantasticย weeknight dinner.
Kale Pesto Pasta
Kale pasta is excellent forย meal-preppingย as you canย make the kale pesto aheadย and mix it with the pasta on the day of eating.
Spaghetti Salad
This spaghetti salad is aย crowd-pleaserย because it combines al dente spaghetti with crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and a tasty Italian dressing.
Itโs excellent forย picnics, potlucks, and barbecuesย but also perfect forย meal prep, to bring to work, and for family dinners.
Asparagus Pasta
This asparagus pasta is a creamy, healthy, and spring-friendly dinner idea.
It's a 20-minuteย easyย pasta for the whole family, packed withย taste and color.
Pasta with Chickpea (Pasta e Ceci)
Pasta e ceciย โ pasta and chickpeas in English โย is a satisfying and nourishing Italian recipeย known for its comforting flavors and simplicity.
Youโll love itsย creamy texture and theย warm and rustic tasteย of chickpeas simmered in a rich broth with garlic, rosemary, and tomato.
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Cherry tomato pastaย is a traditional Italian recipe from Naples.
We are sureย you will love this pasta's simplicity, ease of making, andย irresistible flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.
Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe
Orecchiette with broccoli rabeย is a traditional Italian pasta recipe from Apulia that combinesย sautรฉed broccoli rabeย with deliciousย ear-shaped orecchiette pasta.
Youโll love this recipe because itโsย easy, comforting, and nutritious.
Casarecce pasta
Next healthy pasta dish is a quick and tasty sauce with broccoli rabe, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.
You can make this casarecce recipe in less than 30 minutes, top it with feta, ricotta, or a non-dairy cheese alternative, and have it as a delicious lunch or dinner.
Creamy Tomato Pasta
Our creamy tomato pastaย is easy to make in about 15 minutes. It uses simple ingredients like fresh tomatoes, ricotta, parmesan, basil, and olive oil.
Youโll love theย comforting Italian flavors, the sauceโs creamy texture, and the ricotta and tomatoesโ lightness.
Vegan Pasta
This 20-minuteย high-protein vegan pasta recipeย combines an extra creamy red pepper and silken tofu sauce with chewy Italian pasta.
Youโll love this because you can make the sauce withย little effortย andย simple ingredientsย in a blender.
Creamy Pasta Salad
Creamy pasta saladย is a gorgeous, easy recipe that can be made in 20 minutes. It has a heavenlyย yogurt-mayo dressingย and a mix of fresh and canned vegetables.
Expect aย beautiful variety of textures,ย colors, andย flavors, all hugged by our cozy signature dressing.
Paccheri Pasta
Paccheri pasta is one of the most satisfying, beautifully chewy, and fulfilling pasta types.
Here, weโll show you how to cook them in a quick, tasty, and fulfilling cherry tomato sauce enriched with chickpeas for extra protein.
How to store these healthy pasta recipes
- How to store: These pasta meals can be stored in the refrigerator, ideally in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- How to reheat: Warm it up on the stovetop or microwave. Before serving, garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley or basil.
- How to freeze: You can also freeze the meals for up to 3 months. To freeze, let it cool down first, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly container, leaving some space for expansion.
Thaw in the microwave or a pot on the stovetop. Before serving, garnish with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil, optional.
If you liked these pasta recipes, leave a comment and a star rating below. Feedback helps us improve our recipes and help other people, too.
For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.
35 Healthy Pasta Recipes
Ingredients
- Check each individual pasta recipe for ingredients required.
- Make your favorite pasta recipe, and try something new!
Instructions
- How to store: Keep these pasta meals stored in the refrigerator, ideally in an airtight container, for upย to 3 days.
- How to reheat: Warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave. Before serving garnish with fresh herbs.
- How to freeze: You can also freeze the meals forย up to 3 months. To freeze, let it cool down first, then transfer them to a freezer-friendly container, leaving some space to allow it to expand. Thaw in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Before serving, garnish with fresh herbs, and optionally a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with vegetarian and vegan recipes.
Hi! My name is Danielle. I live in Germany, South Baden, near Basel. Am originally from Belgium and like mediterrean food. Since one year I eat vegan and I am so happy with your recipes. They are so delicious! I already threw away two cookbooks. Keep up the good cooking!
Hi Danielle, thanks so much for your kind comment, it made us smile! So happy to hear you like our recipes, your support means a lot to us. Thanks for being here. Cheers, Nico
You are definitely the best resource for vegan recipes on the Internet. Period. I am an ex-googler too ๐
Ahaha, what a coincidence, Luis! That’s very kind of you to say – your comment made us smile! Cheers, Nico