We've all been there before. Just got home. Tired. Maybe a little frazzled. Hungry. Hangry. So, let's talk about one of my all-time favorite “I-don’t-know-what’s-for-dinner” ingredients: pasta.
Busy weeknights call for simple solutions—and pasta is as close as it gets to magic.
- Need to stretch a few veggies into a meal? Pasta.
- Only have 15 minutes and zero motivation? Pasta.
- Looking for something the whole family will actually eat? You guessed it, pasta.
But don't just reach for a jar of marinara. Today, I'm sharing 5 of my favorite pasta recipes that take the stress out of dinner and add a little joy back to your evening.
1. Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta
Make a batch of this red pepper pesto in advance for a weeknight meal that's bold and smoky and absolutely delicious.
2. Creamy Lemon Gnocchi (AKA Gnocchi Al Limone)
Lemon makes everything better. Picture this: pillowy gnocchi swimming in a creamy sauce that’s loaded with freshly grated pecorino cheese and bursting with lemon. Toss in a handful of frozen peas in the last 5 minutes of cooking to add a little extra color to your plate or serve with a salad.
3. Cold Caprese Pasta Salad
In the summer, pasta salads are one of my favorite weeknight meals. This one has all the beautiful flavors of a classic caprese salad with a creamy balsamic dressing that'll keep you going in for more bite after bite.
4. Cabbage Noodle Stir-Fry
Stir fried cabbage, bits of minced pork, and soy sauce. It comes together fast and thanks to sweet potato starch noodles (which you can swap for rice noodles in a pinch) make this anything but boring in both flavor and texture.
5. One-Pot Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta
A one-pot pasta dish that's sure to become a weeknight staple. This saucy little number is hearty, comforting, cheesy, and kid friendly. Sure to make a regular appearance on your dinner table.
