You Need These Quick Pasta Recipes For Busy Weeknight Dinners

Busy weeknights seem like the norm these days, which means fast and easy dinners are more important than ever. Pasta is always a good option since it boils up quickly, but not all pasta recipes fit the bill (we’re looking at you, seven-layer lasagna).

These 10 recipes are as speedy as it gets. Keep them handy and you’ll have something delicious to turn to no matter how busy your night is.

Opting for a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles instead of plain diced tomatoes is an easy way to add bold flavor and spice to this quick and easy one-pan pasta dinner.

The secret to ensuring this dinner gets to the table fast is cooking the broccoli florets in the boiling pasta water — add them just a couple of minutes before you drain the pasta.

Okay, we know we said lasagna wasn’t weeknight-friendly, but that only applies to seven-layer lasagna. With skillet lasagna, this dish is possible on a weeknight. The secret is breaking up the noodles and cooking them right in the quick sausage and mushroom sauce before dolloping everything with cheese and broiling it.

You don’t need a handful of ingredients to make a creamy, dreamy sauce for pasta. Grab a tub of ricotta, enhance it with a bit of lemon, and toss it with warm pasta to make an instant sauce.

Leaning on smoked sausage, like kielbasa or andouille, means all you really need to do is quickly brown it in the skillet before tossing it with cooked pasta.

Classic mac and cheese might feel a little too decadent for your standard weeknight, but this healthy twist is just right. A tangy yogurt and goat cheese sauce takes the place of the usual béchamel and both roasted broccoli and red peppers are added.

Sometimes even the busiest weeknights need something that feels a little fancy. This easy recipe comes together quickly in one pot and is worth enjoying with a glass of white wine.

Swap your usual taco Tuesday for taco pasta Tuesday and no one will complain. This Dutch oven casserole is fast and as comforting as it gets.

If you happen to have some sun-dried tomatoes on hand, this is practically a pantry pasta. Goat cheese forms the creamy, tangy sauce and lots of fresh thyme adds intrigue.

This dish comes together in about the same amount of time it takes to normally boil a pot of water and cook spaghetti since the sauce is prepared right in the pot that the pasta is boiling in.