Quick and Healthy Pasta Recipes and Cooking Tips

Featured Recipes

Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken & Vegetables

If you can't find a bagged vegetable medley for this easy noodle bowl, choose 12 ounces of cut vegetables from your market's salad bar and create your own mix.

» Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken & Vegetables

Turkey Sausage & Arugula Pasta

The cheese in this dish is the key to the balance of flavors. For the biggest impact, make sure to use imported Italian cheese.

» Turkey Sausage & Arugula Pasta

No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

Not only is this ultra-creamy version of mac-and-cheese nearly as fast as the boxed variety, but your family will be able to pronounce every ingredient. If they aren't broccoli fans, substitute a frozen vegetable of your choice.

» No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

Bean Bolognese

Fiber-rich beans stand in for the beef and pork in this surprisingly rich-tasting vegetarian take on pasta Bolognese. Without the meat, the dish has only a third of the fat and 80 percent less saturated fat. To make the perfect meal, serve with a peppery arugula salad and warm, crusty Italian bread.

» Bean Bolognese

Hoisin Beef & Edamame Noodles

Sweet hoisin sauce and tangy lime juice balance perfectly in this quick, colorful, Asian-inspired noodle dish. Make it a meal: Dress a cucumber salad with toasted sesame oil and lime juice and enjoy a cup of jasmine green tea.

» Hoisin Beef & Edamame Noodles

Orzo with Lamb, Olives & Feta

Sure, orzo is good in soup, but there's no need to stop there. Here it's a base for a bold blend of spices, tomato sauce and flavorful ground lamb. The optional pinch of crushed red pepper will add the heat that many crave.

» Orzo with Lamb, Olives & Feta

Alpine Mushroom Pasta

In northern Italy, the influences of neighboring Austria and Switzerland are apparent in dishes like this pasta featuring Savoy cabbage and mushrooms in a light wine sauce. Serve with Caesar salad and bread sticks.

» Alpine Mushroom Pasta

Quick and healthy pasta recipes for any day of the week

Pasta is a favorite family comfort food—it’s quick and easy to cook and always tastes good. But with all those carbs can it be healthy too? You bet! The trick is to keep portion sizes under control and compensate by adding more lean protein and vegetables into the mix.

You might also skip the “regular” pasta, which is made from refined grains, and instead opt for whole-wheat varieties as part of a healthy diet. A good source of dietary fiber, whole-wheat pasta hasn’t been stripped of the grain’s important trace nutrients and phytochemicals. And now, fortunately for consumers, there are vastly improved, better-tasting choices to be found at your grocery store.

So say “yes” to pasta once again, and enjoy these quick and healthy recipes. All can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.