25 Easy Pasta Recipes Ready In Under Half an Hour


Easy Pasta Paradise

Pasta is one of the most versatile, easy to make and delicious meals humankind should thank the Italians for inventing and spreading worldwide! Every nation must have heard of and made pasta at some point or in some form, even if adapted to specific regional or cultural circumstances.

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Traditionally, pasta is associated with Italy, although there are mentions of similar foods in the Far East or the Greek mythology going back many thousands of years.

It does not matter if you are looking to impress someone on a special occasion or have limited time to cook for your family at the end of a busy day. Pasta will always be the right choice and will never fail to awe.

A thing about carbs: the West seems obsessed with reducing/eliminating them from the diet in a desperate hope to live healthier. Paradoxically, the Italians eat pasta every evening and still manage to live a long, healthy life. Perhaps we need to look elsewhere and let the poor carbs be (part of our diet!)

If you need more reassurance, look for Down to Earth With Zac Efron on Netflix and search for the episode filmed in Sardinia. It might change your perception of carbs. It changed Efron’s opinion, and the guy is not just a pretty face; he has learnt a thing or two while filming this documentary series.

So pasta it is! The variations to the classic recipes are probably endless. Still, I have chosen an array of excellently explained and executed easy pasta recipes for this post, effortless to follow and ready in half an hour or less. Only a few will require ten or fifteen additional minutes of precious time, but rest assured, you will not feel sorry for going the extra mile!

At the end of the post, you will find beneficial information on pairing your chosen pasta with wine to make a simple dinner truly successful!

Have fun reading and, more importantly, enjoy eating! Hasta la pasta!

  1. Spaghetti With Clams (Spaghetti alle Vongole All’Amalfitana)
spaghetti alle vongole all'amalfitana

Recipe provided by https://theworldisanoyster.com/

Enjoy it with a sparkling white and a good story of the world-famous Amalfi Coast, the place of this recipe’s origins! Ah, how dreamy sounds a plate of vongole somewhere in Positano… Oh, well, the kitchen will have to do for now!

2. Healthy Salmon Stroganoff Pasta

salmon stroganoff pasta

Recipe provided by https://www.momthelunchlady.ca/

Why not try fish pasta with a delicious dill sauce? Healthy, filling, delicious – all in one plate.

3. Fresh Basil and Cherry Tomato Pasta

basil and cherry tomato pasta

Recipe provided by https://therunningbaker24.com/

Aromatic and requiring just a handful of ingredients, this dish provides the necessary carb load to a trained runner, according to the recipe provider. But we all love it!

4. Penne Alla Vodka With Pancetta

penne alla Vodka with pancetta

Recipe provided by https://cookingwithcarbs.com/

Why not give a Vodka kick to a simple cream and tomato sauce for a romantic pasta dinner? You know you want to!

5. Pasta Alla Gricia

pasta alla gricia

Recipe provided by https://www.the-bella-vita.com/

An authentic Roman pasta with a history going back to antiquity is something worth trying. After all, this is where and how it all started.

6. Chicken Thyme Pasta

thyme chicken pasta

Recipe provided by https://www.cookedbyjulie.com/

Are you looking for a successful date night meal? Look no further; this is your chance to impress!

7. Vegetarian Greek Spaghetti

vegetarian Greek spaghetti

Recipe provided by https://greenbowl2soul.com/

Suiting specific dietary styles and bringing diverse cuisines together, this fusion summer pasta is ideal for picnics or potlucks.

8. Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Cajun chicken alfredo pasta

Recipe provided by https://theoregondietitian.com/

Perhaps you would like to try a hot world-famous with a twist by following this healthy recipe!

9. Penne Arrabbiata

penne arrabbiata

Recipe provided by https://www.christinascucina.com/

This is another authentic Italian recipe, a hot pasta easy to make and my all-time favourite!

10. Vegan One Pot Pasta

vegan pot pasta

Recipe provided by https://runningonrealfood.com/

Nutritious, budged friendly and easy to make, this is a pasta dish that can be easily customised to your taste!

11. Instant Pot Pasta Primavera

instant pot pasta primavera

Recipe provided by https://www.corriecooks.com/

You might become addicted to this recipe; trust an instant pot fan!

12. Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

garlic shrimp pasta

Recipe provided by https://littlesunnykitchen.com/

This sumptuous recipe is every pasta lover’s dream come true – take it from a trained chef! I know I’m already craving it!

13. Gluten-Free Fettuccine Alfredo

gf fettuccine alfredo

Recipe provided by https://strengthandsunshine.com/

Vegan and allergy-free, this is your perfect super rapid dinner – creamy and delicious!

14. One Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

chicken cordonbleu pasta

Recipe provided by https://www.wenthere8this.com/

The ultimate comfort food can make a perfect weeknight dinner – see for yourself!

15. Spicy Vodka Sauce Pasta

gigi hadid vodka pasta

Recipe provided by https://seasonandthyme.com/

The rich and famous eat carbs, too! They even inspire us mere mortals to do the same! Check this cute cooking story and delicious recipe.

16. Vegan Lentil Meatballs

vegan lentil meaytballs

Recipe provided by https://thedaringkitchen.com/

This is a fabulous, right up my alley side dish that goes perfectly with pasta! A must-make, surely!

17. Pasta Aglio e Olio

pasta aglio e olio

Recipe provided by https://thishealthykitchen.com/

Garlic and oil pasta is the simplest and most delicious type of pasta one can make in minutes and still enjoy as if it were an elaborate palace recipe! This is the charm of Italian cooking!

18. Roasted Eggplant Spinach Pasta

baked eggplant pasta penne

Recipe provided by https://saporitokitchen.com/

A little extra time to bake the aubergines would never put me off. The reward is in the form of a beautiful and goodie-packed pasta dish.

19. Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

vegan roasted pepper pasta

Recipe provided by https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/

Why not try a fragrant baked pasta that needs just a few extra minutes to make? Guaranteed, you won’t feel sorry for the added time!

20. Mushroom Carbonara With Pancetta

pasta carbonara with pancetta

Recipe provided by https://thesixfiguredish.com/

It might take just a little over half an hour to prepare and cook this recipe, but the result is a delicious garlicky pasta that will make a wonderful dinner!

21. Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Tuscan chicken pasta

Recipe provided by https://disheswithdad.com/

Sautéed chicken, garlicky parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes – on my plate in half an hour? Yes, please!

22. Vegan Pasta Caprese

vegan pasta caprese

Recipe provided by https://veganhuggs.com/

What’s better than combining two Italian specials in a healthy and absolute dreamy summer dish? Serving it in a quaint trattoria with a view to Vesuvius, preferably in Capri, perhaps! I swear, one of these days I’ll buy a kitchen wallpaper with that scenery! 

23. Strawberry Pasta

strawberry pasta

Recipe provided by https://www.amummytoo.co.uk/

What do you do when you need to feed fussy eaters? Perhaps wooing them with something daring and different would work. Just allow extra time to roast a handful of strawberries.

24. Creamy Tomato Pasta

creamy tomato pasta

Recipe provided by https://thecozycook.com/

Simple, easy and versatile, this is the ultimate Italian favourite pasta dish!

25. Pasta alla Norma

pasta alla norma

Recipe provided by https://flawlessfood.co.uk/

What better way to conclude this pasta presentation than a Sicilian star dish worthy of an acclaimed operatic name? Bravissima!

How do we pair appropriately wine with your chosen easy pasta recipe?

glass of wine

It is of vital importance to choose the right wine when serving pasta. Wine Folly offers some good ideas and explanations that will make your pasta dinner a total success! An absolute must-read and follow the advice! I know I have acquired an enological education, and surely it will help many others choose wisely.

I genuinely hope you enjoyed reading this easy pasta recipes round-up post and will save it as a reference to your future pasta evenings. Or you can use it as a ready-made meal plan for quite a while! And please share the word. Thank you!

The California Wine Club. A True California Wine Adventure!

What recipe(s) tickles your fancy the most? No matter what you choose, enjoy your pasta, or as the Italians would say, Buon appetito!

Easy Pasta Paradise


The World Is An Oyster

Working as a journalist during university was pretty exciting. But landing a cruise ship job barely a year in my new graduate career was something else! Overnight, I moved from an already exhilarating job to an even better one. One that would allow me to wake up every morning in a different country. What more can a twenty-something wish for? The fact that I was fluent in a few languages helped. It made it easier to obtain the position I was seeking at the Shore Excursions department. Apart from dispatching tours in the morning and selling tickets in the evening, I would spend nearly every day on different trips. I did this a few years, spending half a year onboard and about two months at home. I enjoyed it immensely. I met fascinating people from all over the Globe and collected memories to last me a lifetime. Not to mention that I received a salary for seeing all those magnificent places the Earth has to offer! In an ideal world, everybody should live as they want. For me, that would translate into travel, then travel some more and keep travelling!

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47 Responses

  1. Cayla says:

    Wow! Pretty sure I’m going to have to make all of these now! 🤤

  2. Maria Khan says:

    such a delicious and great list!

  3. Toni says:

    This is such a great list! I would love to try all! They all look delish!

  4. Kay says:

    Great blog, so many fantastic pasta recipes on here 🙂
    We tried out the mushroom carbonara recipe and it was an awesome midweek meal 😉

  5. Gloria says:

    We love pasta. So many great recipes to try in this collection. Now, which one will I try first?

  6. Natalie says:

    What a collection. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful pasta recipes.

  7. What a great list of a variety of pasta dishes! I LOVE pasta and can’t wait to try these amazing looking recipes!

  8. Sarah says:

    I love pasta and want to eat every single one of these! I am intrigued by the one with strawberries. I would never think to mix that in with pasta!

  9. Yum! These will be a great way to use some of the herbs in my garden and I love that their fast so can easily be made uo after work.

  10. Rachael says:

    I know what we’re having for dinner tonight now! And next Wednesday! Even if I can’t have the seafood ones, there are so many delicious sounding recipes here, even some that picky Miss 5 will try!

  11. Wendie says:

    Whoa! That list is scrumptious!! I don’t eat seafood, but I can replace it with chicken and now have new recipes to rotate with the pasta nights! Yum!!

  12. My family is a pasta eating family. Growing up in an Italian family, mom made pasta a lot. I would love to try the chicken alfredo pasta or the red pepper pasta, or the pasta with shrimp…. so many choices. YUM!

  13. These are all so good and I got so hungry just looking at it! I’ll be sure to try these out over the coming months! It’s also perfect because I’ve got some pasta in the pantry! Thank you for sharing!

  14. Kari says:

    I love easy dinners and the mushroom carbonara with pancetta sounds like my perfect meal! Well, with a nice glass of wine too!

  15. Krista says:

    I absolutely love pasta. Alfredo is probably my fav. That Chicken Thyme Pasta looks amazing. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!

  16. Angel Lewis says:

    The spaghetti w/ clams looks soooo good. I’d have to have them out of the shell though. I’ll have to look for some fresh ones soon.

  17. Thanks for putting all these recipes together. Pasta is a staple at my house, and I love pasta recipes that you can make in under half-hour. I’m excited about these recipes!

  18. Amy Angelli says:

    These all look and sound amazing. I hardly know which one to try first!

  19. I love, love, love pasta!!! I would eat it every day if I could take the carbs/calories, but I will be working my way through these recipes over the next several months, starting with the first one which I have wanted to make for a while, the linguini with clams! Yummy!

  20. Julia says:

    Pasta is pretty much a staple in our house… and with so many lovey sauces to try, I think it’s going to stay that way for a while yet. They all look so tempting I’m not sure where I’ll start. Thank you for this.

  21. arlef says:

    Now I will have something else to cook than spaghetti.

  22. Alyssa Hixenbaugh says:

    I love the sound of all of these recipes! Pasta is so versatile and easy to make a delicious meal. Thanks for sharing!

  23. Jordan says:

    My family loves pasta! These recipes are a good round up! Simple and easy to make. Will need to try these out for family dinners! Thanks for sharing!

  24. Shannon says:

    What a great post! I think #18 is my favorite, eggplant is SO GOOD! Then you really spoke to my heart with the wine pairing. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  25. I am a pasta lover. All of these dishes look so good and delicious. I would totally love to make one of them.

  26. Thank you for putting together such an amazing list. You did a great job including great recipes. Also thank you for including our penne recipe!

  27. Kalin says:

    I can never have enough pasta! We try to cook a new Italian dish every Sunday so I am thrilled to have all these new ideas!

  28. Sue says:

    I love this collection, so much to choose from! You took half the work out of meal planning!

  29. Nora says:

    What an amazing list with so many great recipes! Thank you for sharing!

  30. What a delicious round up of pasta dishes. All look so comforting! Thank you for including my Salmon Stroganoff.

  31. Emily Flint says:

    This is the only collection of pasta recipes I need!! All of them look amazing and. I love how easy they are to make. I will be heading to the store to stock up on pasta!!

  32. Jeannie says:

    Pasta is always a favorite and it reminds me of my many trainings and races especially carbo loading events from Germany to the US…. Love this list I know what to try next and thanks for including my easy pasta recipe (Basil and Cherry Tomatoes Pasta)

  33. Kay says:

    We love love love pasta and can’t wait to try some of these delicious recipes. So many to choose from they will keep me busy for a couple of months. I need to check out that documentary too, any excuse to eat more carbs!

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