35 Easy Sides to Pair with Your Pasta Dinner

updated Jan 12, 2024

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Broccolini with garlic and lemon wedges in a pan — Credit: Shelly Westerhausen

Truly, pasta doesn’t need much to make it a crowd favorite at the dinner table. Grab a bowl and a fork and you’re pretty much all set. However, it never hurts to add a salad or cooked vegetable to the situation to make the whole meal feel a bit more, well, whole.

Serving up pasta for dinner is actually a golden opportunity to get some extra vegetables on the table. And as for the very best pasta side dishes, know that the options are vast. Since pasta is so versatile, what you can serve with it is equally so. A refreshing salad or sautéed greens are just a couple of great sides that are always welcome next to your spaghetti or your ziti. Here are 35 sides for pasta that come together easily for dinner.

Crisp and Crunchy Salads

A big green salad is a classic pasta side dish. Something as simple as arugula tossed with lemon juice and olive oil is a great choice, as is a traditional Caesar. Or forgo the greens altogether and opt for a crisp cucumber or juicy tomato salad.

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Cucumber Caprese Salad

A simple twist on classic Italian Caprese salad that adds cool, crisp cucumbers to the equation.

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The Ultimate Classic Caesar Salad

You simply cannot beat a really great Caesar salad. Here's how to make the whole thing at home.

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Simple Arugula Salad

This quick and easy, unfussy arugula salad tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and finished with shaved Parmesan.

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The New Spring Mix

Forget those pre-mixed bags in the produce aisle, this simple DIY blend is colorful and way more flavorful.

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5-Ingredient Kale Caesar Salad

An easy, anchovy-free version of classic Caesar salad, made with kale instead of romaine so it keeps for days in the fridge.

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Tangy Cucumber Salad

Keep this light, fresh salad of quick-pickled cucumbers and chopped fresh chives on standby for when you want a side that's especially quick and easy.

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Spanakopita Kale Salad

With briny feta crumbles, crunchy toasted walnuts, and zippy herbs, this chopped kale salad tastes just like spanakopita, the iconic Greek savory pie.

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This colorful green garden salad is inspired by the produce-packed Jersey salad at Delancey in Seattle.

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Lemony Green Salad with Radicchio & Pepitas

This is the salad we whip up while dinner is on the stove. It’s refreshing with rich meals, lemony and tart, with the crunch of pepitas.

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Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

Nothing against romaine, but Brussels sprouts give it some healthy competition when it comes to which base is best for Caesar salad.

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This simple salad, made with thinly-sliced red onions, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar, lets juicy summer tomatoes shine.

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Arugula & Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

When you need a simple salad to make the meal complete, this tumble of arugula and shaved fennel is all you need.

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Vegetarian Italian Chopped Salad

This make-ahead friendly salad is packed with crunchy veggies and tossed in a garlicky oregano vinaigrette. Eat as-is or serve alongside pizza.

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Ottolenghi's Cauliflower, Pomegranate, and Pistachio Salad

This warm, herb-heavy salad treats you to cauliflower three different ways from the Ottolenghi SIMPLE cookbook.

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Spicy Cherry Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Basil

Tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapeño combine in this simple yet flavor-packed salad. It's extra delicious on a hot summer day when basil and cucumbers are in abundance in the garden.

Warm Salads

What you pair with pasta doesn’t always have to be served cold. A salad made warm by tossing it in a heated dressing or roasting the vegetables is an unexpected twist we love leaning into.

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Spinach Salad with Warm Brown Butter Dressing

The warm brown butter dressing will keep you coming back for more.

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Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese

Tossed with chopped almonds, goat cheese, parsley, and a touch of lemon, this salad is comforting yet still fresh and light.

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The Ultimate Grilled Zucchini Salad

Zucchini is grilled until smoky, then tossed with a lemon vinaigrette, feta, and mint.

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Kale with Apples, Currants, and Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

The warmth of this vinaigrette softens the kale and adds a richness to this hearty salad.

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Quick and Easy Roasted Vegetable Salad

This warm roasted veggie salad could be a meal on its own, but also works great as a side.

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Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Herbs

If you adore roasted cauliflower, this is a salad you've got to try.

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Warm Golden Beet Salad with Greens and Almonds

This warm, toothsome beet salad is loaded with spicy greens, a bit of pungent goat cheese, and toasty almonds.

Vegetables Sides

Or simply serve a platter of cooked veggies. Whether it’s sautéed spinach, braised kale, or roasted asparagus, it’s a wholesome addition to the table.

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Easy Sautéed Spinach

Got five minutes? This is the easiest, most foolproof way to cook spinach on the stovetop.

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Garlic Green Beans

This quick and simple way to cook green beans will become an instant favorite.

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5-Minute Blistered Tomatoes and Capers

Heat reveals the sweetness of tomatoes, opening them up for new flavors. This quick and easy side dish is sure to wow your palate.

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Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini

This easy recipe for sautéed Broccolini with garlic and red pepper flakes that's the perfect weeknight side dish.

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Slow Cooked Kale

We like a quick side-dish as much as the next guy, but we still love long-cooked kale for the way its flavor deepens and its ruffly edges crisp.

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Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Bored with plain ol' broccoli? Serve garlicky broccoli rabe instead.

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Lemon-Pepper Asparagus

This simple side dish is just as much about the tender roasted asparagus as it is about the burnished lemon slices that are tossed in the mix.

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Air Fryer Green Beans

Here's how to cook blistered, crisp-tender green beans (fresh or frozen!) in an air fryer.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

These perfect Brussels sprouts have a little bit of char and are perfectly crisp-tender: cooked all the way through with a little crunch remaining.

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Braised Fennel and Shallots with Parsley and Orange Zest

To braise vegetables gives them their proper due, and it’s the perfect treatment for all kinds of spring produce — especially wedges of sweet fennel.

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Blistered Green Beans with Pickled Shallots and Toasted Breadcrumbs

Fresh green beans are stir-fried until blistered, then tossed with tangy pickled shallots and topped with crunchy, salty breadcrumbs.

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Grilled Zucchini

Easy step-by-step to grilling summer's most abundant vegetable.

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Roasted Broccoli

Perfectly seasoned broccoli florets roasted until crisp and caramelized.

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