pasta dinner ideas

Cavatappi pasta is corkscrew shaped and great with creamy sauces. Serve it with a creamy white sauce, spinach, and sundried tomatoes for an easy dinner! (For a vegan option, use 4 cups Vegan Alfredo Sauce instead of the cauliflower sauce.)

Creamy Cavatappi Pasta

garlic cloves*

cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), enough

butter oil

vegetable broth

garlic powder

oregano

salt

Parmesan cheese, divided

Delallo cavatappi pasta

baby spinach

Delallo sundried tomatoes, minced

Red pepper flakes (optional)

parsley

Make the cauliflower sauce*

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and saute for 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth, garlic powder, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes on medium high heat until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, make the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside). When the pasta is just about al dente, add spinach to pasta water in last 45 seconds (it only needs this long to cook). Then drain the pasta and spinach and return to the pot.

Blend the cauliflower sauce

When the cauliflower is cooked (in Step 3), carefully transfer the hot cauliflower and broth mixture to a blender. Blend on high until a smooth sauce forms. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and an additional 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and blend again.

Serve

Once the pasta is done, pour in the cauliflower sauce. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes, the additional 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes (if using). Taste and if desired add salt or fresh ground pepper. Top with parsley and serve. Store leftovers refrigerated (see reheating instructions above.

I enjoyed this and I followed the recipe exactly, but for some reason the cauliflower "sauce" was more like thin mashed potatoes... any idea what happened? Did I not blend it long enough? I popped it in the oven with some breadcrumbs on top to turn it into a casserole instead, but it would be great to be able to make it correctly in the future if you have any thoughts.

This recipe is extraordinary! Easy to make and delicious. My wife is vegetarian and I am a sworn omnivore. This meal was great for both. Thank you for your ideas in the kitchen. You have given me a few wins as the newly commissioned cook in the house.

Hearty, filling and topped with cheddar cheese, Cowboy Spaghetti has a warm, smoky flavor thanks to the fire-roasted tomatoes and crispy bacon.

Cowboy Spaghetti

dry spaghetti

olive oil

bacon (, diced)

beef

onion (, diced)

garlic (, minced)

salt and pepper (,

sriracha hot sauce

Worcestershire sauce

low-sodium beef broth

can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

tomato sauce

cheddar cheese

scallions (, diced)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large, deep, nonstick skillet; swirl to coat. Add in the bacon and cook until brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet.

Add ground beef and onions to the skillet; sauté, breaking up the beef into crumbles, for about 3 to 4 minutes until it’s browned and no pink remains, and the onions have softened. Drain off grease. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the sriracha, Worcestershire, beef broth, fired roasted tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Let gently bubble and simmer for about 6 minutes until thickened slightly.

Add cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the meat sauce; toss to combine. Taste and adjust any seasonings, if needed.

Serve pasta in bowls. Grate fresh cheddar cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions and the reserved crisp bacon. Enjoy!

Looking for easy pasta dinner ideas? This marinara pasta recipe features a homemade sauce and comes together in minutes! Boost the nutrients with a few handfuls of spinach, and you've got dinner.

Pasta Dinner Ideas: Pasta Marinara &amp; More!

tomatoes

balsamic vinegar

teaspoon kosher salt

basil leaves,

baby spinach leaves

spaghetti pasta

Parmesan cheese or goat cheese crumbles,

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside). Then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, place the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt, whole basil leaves and spinach (if using). Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Pour the marinara sauce over the pasta. Garnish with chopped basil. If desired, serve with Parmesan cheese or goat cheese crumbles: but it&#8217;s just as good without!

This Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta is loaded with flavor from a light and zesty creamy sauce that coats each bite to perfection!

Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

oz penne pasta

asparagus (about 1/2 bunch)

chicken breasts (butterflied)

Salt and pepper (for seasoning)

butter

garlic

chicken broth

milk

thyme

parmesan cheese (more

lemon (juiced)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus to the pasta. Cook them, with the pasta, for about 5 minutes. Once cooked, reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.

On a flat surface, butterfly the two chicken breasts into 4 thinner pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat it up.

Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and cook, without moving them, for 4 minutes on the first side, then once golden and seared, flip them over and continue cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken breasts’ internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove from pan onto a cutting board.

To the same pan, add the butter and melt it, add the garlic, and stir to cook the garlic for about 30 seconds.

Add the chicken broth and milk or half and half to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring the tidbits from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Once the sauce is ready, cut the chicken breasts diagonally into 1/2-inch strips and transfer them into the pan with the juices from the board.

To the sauce, add the drained pasta, asparagus, parmesan cheese, and squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into the pan. Give everything a good toss to combine and add some of the reserved pasta water if you wish to thin out the sauce.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese over the top and a lemon wedge if desired.

Top 4 pasta dinner ideas recipes from across the web

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Creamy Cavatappi Pasta

Cowboy Spaghetti

Pasta Dinner Ideas: Pasta Marinara ...

Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

Top 4 pasta dinner ideas recipes from across the web

The most viewed pasta dinner ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Creamy Cavatappi Pasta

Cowboy Spaghetti

Pasta Dinner Ideas: Pasta Marinara ...

Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

The most viewed pasta dinner ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine