10 Easy and Delicious Pasta recipes
Artichoke and Spinach Orzo
Both my kids loved this and so will you since it’s one tray dinner that literally takes 5 minutes of prep. The oven will make this into the creamiest yummiest dinner you’ll have all week!
Ingredients
- 1 lbs orzo pasta
- 12 oz chicken sausage (I LOVE this cheddar one from Trader Joe’s)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 spinach and artichoke dip from Trader Joe's or wherever you can find one. Room temperature. You can place the dip in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours.
- 3 cups chicken or vegetables broth
Instructions
1. Add orzo, chicken sausage, tomatoes and spinach to an oven safe tray. Place dip in the middle, cover with broth and drizzle with olive oil (optional). Add salt and pepper.
2. Bake in oven at 375F for about 30 minutes until pasta is al dente. Remove from oven, mix everything and serve!
Lasagna Soup
This lasagna soup might just be the reason fall is everyone’s favorite season. One pot, extra cheesy, and so easy to make! 🍂
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 20 oz butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 12 oz jarred roasted red peppers, drained
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb ground beef
- 16 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce or 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 32 oz beef broth
- 2/3 lb lasagna sheets, broken into pieces
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Optional: ricotta cheese, for serving
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the cubed butternut squash on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
2. Transfer the roasted squash to a blender along with the roasted red peppers and heavy cream. Blend until smooth and silky. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned. Stir in the Italian seasoning and tomato sauce (or paste).
4. Pour in the creamy squash-pepper sauce and the beef broth. Stir well, then add the broken lasagna sheets. Simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10–15 minutes.
5. Stir in the baby spinach until just wilted. Add mozzarella and parmesan, stirring until melty and combined.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with extra parmesan and a dollop of ricotta, if you like it extra cheesy.
Creamy Tomato Pasta
When dinner tastes this good and comes together this easily, I know it’s a keeper. Tortellini, a creamy tomato broth, it’s so good!
Ingredients
- 6 Roma tomatoes, halved 🍅
- 2–3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb cheese tortellini (fresh or refrigerated)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 🧀
- 1 ball burrata cheese
- Basil for serving
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the halved Roma tomatoes, cut side down.
2. Cook for 7–8 minutes, lid on, until the tomatoes soften and start to blister. Remove the skins with a fork. Mash gently with a spoon to release their juices. Sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano, basil, black pepper, and a good pinch of salt.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, then bring to a gentle simmer. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
4. Stir in the Parmesan until creamy and well combined.
5. Remove from heat and top with the ball of burrata. Let it melt slightly, then tear into pieces before serving.
Caramelized onion and Boursin pasta
Serve this at a party and watch it disappear. Caramelized onion spaghetti with Boursin cheese cause why not. Just 7 simple ingredient, rich, savory and sooo yumm
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 yellow onions, sliced 🧅
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1 Boursin cheese
- 1/4 parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 lbs spaghetti
Instructions
1. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat, along with the butter. Let melt, then add onions. Add salt and pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes, start off with medium heat then turn to low. Stir often. Once almost fully caramelized and golden brown, add balsamic glaze and stir.
2. While onions are cooking, boil water and cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve some water.
3. Add Boursin cheese and thyme to onions, let melt and stir to combine with onions. Add pasta water and cheese, stir to coat pasta. Salt to taste, and serve 🍽️
Creamy Pesto Tomato Spaghetti
Sometimes weekends get busy, so I whipped this up at 9PM. Just 5 ingredients, 20 minutes, and a dinner that feels way fancier than it is. Perfect for a last-minute girl dinner situation. Cheesy, saucy, and so delicious ✨
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 24 oz cherry tomatoes 🍅
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 Boursin cheese, garlic & herb
- 8 oz pesto
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/2 box (8 oz) spaghetti
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
1. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add cherry tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for a few minutes.
3. Stir, then cover with a lid and let cook another 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and bursting. 🍅
4. Mash the tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon to release their juices.
5. Stir in the pesto and parmesan cheese 🧀 Lower the heat.
6. Add cooked spaghetti and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta evenly, adding more water if needed.
Pasta Chicken Sausage Bake
A dinner that literally takes 5 min prep? Sign me up. Adding bone broth to dish is also such a hack, it elevates the flavors and turns this bow-tie beauty into a rich, savory winner winner chicken dinner 🥇 also packs protein and is rich in collagen and amino acids!
Ingredients
- 1 lbs pasta, I used farfalle
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 12 oz/340 g chicken sausage, I used sweet Italian
- 5 oz/150g Boursin garlic and herb cheese spread 🧄
- 4 cups chicken bone broth or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Add dry pasta, sliced sausage, cherry tomatoes and cheese to an oven safe tray.
2. Mix bone broth with water, and pour over dish. Add garlic. Bake in oven at 400F for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Pasta is done when it’s al dente.
3. Remove from oven, mix to combine, add parmesan cheese and sour cream. Mix again 🍽️
Creamy Orzo Shrimp
I somehow always keep orzo in the pantry so this dish can easily be whipped up if you grab some shrimp from the grocery store! It’s so creamy and feels fancy but easy enough to make for a weeknight 🥘 skip on the red crushed peppers if you don’t like spicy 🌶️
Ingredients
- 1 lbs shrimp
- Olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic seasoning
- 1/2 red crushed pepper
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups dry orzo
- 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 🧀
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
1. Add olive oil to a large pan, medium heat, and let it heat up. Add shrimp, season with salt, garlic seasoning and crushed red pepper, and let cook for a few minutes each side until golden and mostly cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add some more olive oil to pan, add diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes before adding cherry tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until bursting and until they starten to soft. Add sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Crush tomatoes lightly by pressing down on them.
3. Add orzo to pan, along with cream and broth. Stir everything, add parmesan cheese and continue to stir. Cook for about 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir often so that the dish doesn’t burn.
4. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add spinach, and stir in. Once wilted, remove from heat and serve with parmesan.
Caramelized Onions, Steak Bites and Spaghetti
Hardest part about this dish is babysitting the onions while they caramelize, otherwise it’s super easy to make and the taste is 10/10 ⭐️
Ingredients
- 10 oz (284g) ribeye steak. Cut up into bite size pieces
- 3 tbs butter
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 yellow onions, sliced
- 2-3 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 2/3 lbs (300g) spaghetti
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 to 1.5 cup reserved pasta water
- 0.75 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Heat up a large pan on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp butter and some olive oil. Once melted, throw in steak. Season with salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan.
2. In the same pan, add remaining butter and some olive oil, add onions and season with salt and pepper. Let cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes until almost fully caramelized. Stir a lot to make sure onions don’t burn or stick to pan. After 20-25 minutes, add balsamic glaze to pan and stir. Cook for another 5 min. Remove from pan.
3. While onions are being caramelized, add water to a large separate pot and add spaghetti. Cook until al dente.
4. To the same pan, add wine and heavy cream. Stir, scrape the pan, and add 1 cup of water form the pasta, add Parmesan and stir. Add parsley, stir, then add back onions and steak. Stir, then add spaghetti. Stir everything to make sure pasta is covered in sauce. Add more of the pasta water if necessary to keep the sauce sauce-y
Alfredo Orzo
Serves: 3–4
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp butter 🧈
- 1 tbsp olive oil (plus more if needed)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 🧀
- 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. In a large skillet or pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned and fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside. Drain excess grease if needed.
2. In the same pan, add the butter, olive oil, and orzo. Stir and toast for 2–3 minutes until the orzo is lightly golden.
3. Pour in the beef broth, then add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring often, until the orzo is just al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Stir in the Alfredo sauce, cooked ground beef, baby spinach, and ½ cup of Parmesan. Cook for a few more minutes until the spinach is wilted and everything is heated through.
5. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and the Mexican cheese over the top. Let melt with the lid on, or place under a broiler on high for 2–3 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Chedar Sausage Mac and Cheese
This might be the easiest Trader Joe’s dinner hack ever. Macaroni, chicken sausage, and that cheddar cheese spread, all baked into one cheesy pan of delicous!
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni
- 12 oz cheddar chicken sausage (or any chicken sausage), sliced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1–2 tsp taco seasoning
- 9 oz cheddar cheese spread
- 3 cups chicken broth
- Toppings: Sour cream, basil leaves, shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large oven-safe baking dish, add macaroni, sliced chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes, taco seasoning, and cheddar cheese spread. Pour chicken broth over the top.
3. Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and top with sour cream, fresh basil, and Parmesan. Stir everything together before serving.
