Our Favorite Budget Pasta Dinners for Families

updated May 1, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

When the name of the game is big-batch dinners that feed all the hungry mouths around the table without breaking the bank, these are the pasta recipes that deliver every single time. You might even find yourself with some leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

They come together with everyday panty and freezer aisle ingredients, the promise of easy cooking, and a deeply satisfying dinner.

One-Pot Pasta Dinners

Anytime a one-pot pasta rolls into the weekly meal plan, you can count it as a win. These recipes to come together with easy prep and cleanup and are loaded with lots of good things. The recipes in this lineup are smart picks because they rely on ground meat or vegetables to stretch these pastas into meals with even more servings.

Big-Batch Baked Pastas

Break out your trusty 9×13-inch dish because baked pastas and casseroles are a boon for big family dinners, and you can be sure they won’t gobble up next week’s food budget. Whether you start with ziti, shells, or even ravioli, these are dinners the whole family will love.

Other Budget-Friendly Pasta Favorites

If spaghetti is you go-to, these are the recipes for you. They’re easy weeknight favorites that are easy to scale up and get some extra heft from an array of fresh or frozen vegetables.