Healthy Cooking Methods & Styles Quick & Easy Healthy Recipes Healthy, Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes Quick & Easy Pasta Recipes 20 Cheesy Pasta Recipes in 20 Minutes By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 18, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos These dinner recipes combine two delicious ingredients, cheese and pasta, into one satisfying meal. With plenty of nutritious vegetables and protein, these pasta recipes can easily be adapted to whatever noodle shape you have on hand. Recipes like One-Pot Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts and Skillet Ravioli Lasagna are flavorful and on the table in just 20 minutes. 01 of 20 Classic Mac & Cheese View Recipe No sneaky ingredients here, just delicious comfort food. You can enjoy this super-cheesy mac and cheese in the same time it takes to cook the boxed version. Whole-wheat noodles add fiber, while sharp Cheddar adds richness. A hefty twist of black pepper balances the cheese's salty tang. 02 of 20 Creamy Spinach Pasta View Recipe This might be one of the creamiest light pasta dishes you've ever had! The mascarpone cheese adds a richness to the spinach pasta that's unexpected--especially in a healthy pasta recipe. 03 of 20 Skillet Ravioli Lasagna View Recipe This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food--no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called "pearls") in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store. 04 of 20 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta View Recipe If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare. 05 of 20 One-Pot Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts View Recipe Taking a minute to sizzle some garlic in olive oil is a simple way to pep up the cheese sauce for this easy homemade mac and cheese, and the flavor plays well with the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts in this family-friendly pasta dish. This recipe is designed for you to make a big batch of the cheese sauce to use in different dishes: Stir it into pasta and veggies to make this pasta a one-pot dinner then use it for Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole later in the week (see Associated Recipes). Or simply serve it over your favorite steamed vegetables for an easy side dish. If you'd rather make just enough sauce for this pasta, simply cut the sauce amounts in half. 06 of 20 Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata View Recipe Jacob Fox Here we pan-fry gnocchi to get them crispy, then coat them with a pesto-like sauce made with sweet peas, spinach, basil and cashews. 07 of 20 3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli View Recipe Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D. Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you'll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can blanch the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta). 08 of 20 Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta View Recipe In this quick 20-minute dinner recipe, tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal. This recipe was graciously shared by EatingWell reader Dottie Carpenter, who states, "Recipes are no good if they're not shared!" 09 of 20 Creamy Broccoli Pasta View Recipe Brie Passano If you're looking for a simple weeknight pasta dish, look no further. This vegetarian dinner is done in only 20 minutes and packs plenty of broccoli along with creamy goodness thanks to mascarpone cheese and low-fat Greek yogurt. 10 of 20 Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes View Recipe Looking for a new way to turn a bag of frozen cheese ravioli into a satisfying and healthy dinner? This easy pasta recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal. 11 of 20 BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous View Recipe In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff. 12 of 20 Three-Cheese Vegetable Pasta Toss View Recipe Traditional macaroni and cheese is transformed by adding mushrooms, spinach, and tomato sauce. And it's ready in just 20 minutes! 13 of 20 One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan View Recipe This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp or crispy chickpeas to punch up the protein. 14 of 20 Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino View Recipe Elevate frozen ravioli with sizzled garlic and shallots, shaved pecorino and fresh arugula. Serve with: Whole-grain baguette and a light-bodied red wine, such as pinot noir. 15 of 20 One-Pot Greek Pasta View Recipe A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish Mediterranean pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe. 16 of 20 Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil View Recipe EatingWell reader Sidra Goldman of Washington, D.C., contributed this fresh-tasting whole-wheat pasta recipe. Lemon zest accents the basil beautifully. 17 of 20 Mediterranean Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives View Recipe Store-bought spinach ravioli and a handful of basic pantry items are all you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and toasty pine nuts help to build big flavor fast. If you can't find frozen artichokes, swap in a 15-ounce can (just be sure to drain and rinse them well). 18 of 20 Cherry Tomato & Garlic Pasta View Recipe This easy and healthy pasta recipe takes just 20 minutes to prep so it's a perfect weeknight dinner. Cooking garlic cloves whole and then mashing them into the sauce not only saves time, it creates a mellow garlic flavor that melds seamlessly into the silky burst cherry tomatoes. 19 of 20 Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Summer Vegetables View Recipe This creamy and delicious summery twist on fettuccine alfredo is sure to become your new favorite pasta meal. 20 of 20 Florentine Ravioli View Recipe The flavors of Italy are best expressed in simplicity: a dash of spices, a little oil and dinner's on the table in minutes--especially if you use frozen spinach and frozen ravioli or tortellini. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit