Easy recipes are great for those nights where you’re feeling lazy and unmotivated, or even when you’re in a rush. If you’re a pasta lover and you need a quick, easy meal to make, check out these 12 easy recipes you can follow! My mouth is watering just looking at the pictures.
If you love eating at Chili’s, this recipe is calling your name! The creamy Cajun chicken pasta is a copycat version of the same meal that you would typically find at Chili’s. The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t require any fancy chef work – just some mixing and seasoning! You’ll need pasta (preferably linguine), chicken, Cajun seasoning, garlic, butter, heavy cream, and diced tomatoes. After seasoning and cooking your chicken, you’ll create a creamy, slightly spicy tomato sauce.
The full recipe can be found here on the Natasha’s Kitchen website.
You may recognize this recipe in its variation of feta cheese, but this variation uses Boursin cheese instead! Boursin is rich and creamy, adding a delicious mouthwatering taste to the pasta. All you have to do for the Boursin pasta is put the cheese in the middle of the pan and surround it with tomatoes, slathering it in olive oil and seasonings while adding your cooked pasta of choice later.
The full recipe is on this website.
This super easy recipe takes only 20 minutes to make. All you have to do is cook some sort of tube pasta (this recipe uses rigatoni) and create a thick sauce using butter and garlic, whisking in some flour, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Add plenty of parmesan cheese, and you have a quick recipe ready to be devoured.
Check this one out at the Together As Family website.
I find myself cooking this dish at least once or twice a week. The flavor of this pasta is simply unmatched and I cannot get enough of it! First, cook any tubed pasta (preferably penne), then sauté some chopped shallots and garlic in olive oil. Create the sauce by adding butter, heavy cream, tomato paste, pasta water, salt, and pepper. You can add red pepper flakes for an extra kick of spice, and you can also add vodka if you want to emphasize the rich flavor. Toss the pasta in your sauce, and enjoy!
Exact measurements are found on the TasteGreatFoodie website.
The next easy recipe on our list is the lemon garlic pasta. If you enjoy a twinge of sour, read on! This pasta uses any long-strand pasta. You’ll cook your pasta, then sauté onions and garlic with olive oil. Add white wine, chicken broth, and lemon zest. Toss your pasta in, then add some pasta water to thicken the sauce. Don’t forget the parmesan cheese at the end! You can get super fancy and add panko bread crumbs as well!
Full measurements are on the Josie + Nina website.
A lot of the recipes on this list are vegetarian or vegan, and this one is no exception. Whip up some mushroom in parsley in a pan with olive oil, then create your pesto sauce by blending together oil, garlic cloves, yeast, spinach, lemon juice, and walnuts. Boil your rigatoni pasta, then add all the ingredients together! Super simple and delicious.
Foodaciously includes the measurements you need.
Personally, I can never get enough of fettuccine in any variation. This recipe is a great one to try out if you’re anything like me. Boil your fettuccine noodles, then cook your shrimp all the way through. Remove shrimp, then whisk together butter, flour, cayenne, and pepper. Add heavy cream – then go crazy with your cheeses! This recipe calls for parmesan and mozzarella, but you can use any type of cheese. Mix the shrimp and fettuccine with the sauce, and you have a beautiful, easy recipe that is ready to be served.
Check the entire recipe out on Recipezazz.
This recipe in particular uses a dairy free cream, so this pasta won’t be hurting your stomach! However, you can use any cream you’d like to get the full effect. Chop up some onions and garlic and cook them in butter. Reduce heat and pour in a dry white wine, then add in your cream, cream cheese, vegetable broth, and salt and pepper. Throw your cavatappi in the sauce and top with parmesan cheese!
You can find the full recipe here on Gathered Nutrition.
This recipe can be accomplished with any type of pasta! The star of this recipe is the caramelized shallots that will bring on a sweet, juicy flavor. Over olive oil, cook your shallots and garlic until your shallots have a brown color. You’ll then add anchovies and red pepper flakes, later adding tomato paste and pasta water. Mix your pasta with the sauce, garnish with parsley if you’d like, and you’re good to go! The beauty of this sauce is that you can mimic it for a variety of different dishes.
The NY Times website has the full recipe with exact measurements!
If you want an easy pasta recipe with veggies, this is a great one to try! Cook up some rigatoni pasta. For the sauce, you’re going to use the oil from your sun dried tomatoes to cook garlic and shallots. Dice up some eggplants and add those to the mixture, then add the actual sun dried tomatoes. Add in tomato puree with paprika, chili flakes, and salt and pepper, then stir in your ricotta cheese and pasta. This pasta may require a few more steps than the other recipes, but it’s still a simple recipe that doesn’t overcomplicate things.
Serving Dumplings has the full recipe!
This recipe is gluten free, and it’s a good one! You’ll want to use a wide noodle to get the best out of this recipe, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle. To create the Bolognese sauce, sauté some onions, carrots, and celery. Next, you’re going to stir in pork and beef, then simmer some marinara sauce on top. Stir in heavy cream, then start cooking your pasta. Put it all together to create a beautiful meal that will leave you satisfied!
Find the full recipe with measurements on The Modern Proper.
One of my favorite combinations is sausage and pasta, and this recipe is perfect for that! Start cooking your bucatini pasta, then work on creating the sauce. First, you’re going to brown your sausage meat in a pan. Remove the meat once it’s done cooking, then cook up your chopped onion and bell peppers. Add butter and garlic to the pan, then sprinkle in some flour. Stir in your heavy cream and a dollop of Dijon mustard. Toss in your sausage and spinach, then finish it off by adding your pasta and topping it off with parmesan!
The full recipe is on the Salt & Lavender website.
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