20 Easy Pasta Recipes You’ll Have on the Table in Just 20 Minutes (2024)

Shrimp Scampi

Garlic, parsley, and lemon coat each bite of shrimp and fettuccine with fresh flavors, while a half-and-half mix of butter and olive oil brings everything together. One bite will have you asking, “Wait, this was made in 20 minutes?”

Mushroom and Beef Ravioli Soup

Who says your bowl of pasta needs a fork? Start with frozen beef ravioli and you can have a speedy soup ready to be spooned up. Fresh thyme and mini red peppers freshen up each comforting bowl.

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Spinach

This simple pasta recipe is full of fresh spinach and tender mushrooms. Toss in last night’s leftover chicken or steak and you’ll transform this bowtie side dish into an entrée.

Pesto Penne with Deli-Roasted Chicken

This fast and easy pasta dish is loaded with fresh broccoli and roasted red peppers. Using deli-roasted chicken as the protein also cuts down on the preparation time.

Test Kitchen Tip: Don’t forget to save a bit of the pasta water before draining. The starchy water will help the pesto stick to the pasta.

Ham and Pea Tortellini

Here’s a seven-ingredient supper you can’t beat. Using refrigerated cheese tortellini and pre-cooked ham means the recipe only requires 10 minutes of hands-on time. To make it a balanced meal, we added a few handfuls of fresh arugula and peas—and don’t forget to top it with extra Parmesan.

Copycat Pesto Cavatappi

This delicious and easy copycat cavatappi recipe is even faster than takeout. You’ll need only 15 minutes to whip up a batch of this pasta with pesto. To please heartier appetites, add quick-cooking chicken breast or shrimp.

Gnocchi, Sweet Corn, and Arugula in Cream Sauce

Gnocchi, a mash-up of mashed potatoes and pasta, is the perfect quick recipe for an easy weeknight dinner, since you can stock it in your pantry. Trust us, use this recipe and you’ll always want to have a box of dried gnocchi on hand. Boil the pasta, add cream cheese, stir in some fresh sweet corn, and finish it with arugula for a bright and delicious meal.

Sesame Chicken and Noodles

Soy sauce, fresh ginger, and garlic-chili sauce create this simple pasta recipe’s signature flavors. Refrigerated grilled chicken breast reduces the time needed to prepare this recipe. If you don’t have udon noodles, whole-wheat spaghetti works perfectly, and it adds some extra whole-grains to your meal.

Lemon-Caper Tuna and Noodles with Alfredo

Five ingredients. Twenty minutes. We’ve found the ultimate easy pasta dinner—it’s a speedy, skinnier take on fettuccine Alfredo that offers 41 grams of filling protein via canned tuna.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Veggies

Fettuccine Alfredo in just 15 minutes? Believe it—this fast pasta is loaded with asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and fresh mushrooms, and it’s ready in a snap. It’s a vegetarian pasta recipe so rich and delicious, even meat-eaters will love it.

Chicken and Pasta in Peanut Sauce

Broccolini and red bell peppers add freshness, chicken breasts crank up the protein, and bottled peanut sauce infuses each bite of this quick pasta dish with a pleasant nutty quality. Bonus: This is a one-pot dinner recipe, so cleanup will be minimal.

Smoky Mushroom Stroganoff

If you’re trying to go more plant-based with your protein options, look no further than this fast pasta recipe. A creamy mushroom sauce gives this easy dinner a meaty, umami flavor, but minus the meat. Quick, comforting, and delicious, the whole family will rave over this meal.

Chicken with Parmesan Noodles

No one is going to believe a dinner that looks this fancy only took 20 minutes to prepare. A dash of pesto adds a burst of flavor to this quick chicken and pasta recipe. Add carrots for a serving of vegetables and a pop of color.

Fast Chicken Fettuccine

You need just five ingredients to create this veggie-filled dinner masterpiece. For a restaurant-style finish, top it with a sprinkle of freshly shredded cheese and a bit of cracked black pepper.

Pastina

This classic Italian comfort food dish is often eaten during the winter months. You'll need just five ingredients to make a bowl at home. Top it off with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and freshly-cracked black pepper.

BLT Pasta Salad

This pasta salad will be the first thing to go at the potluck. It's filled with crispy bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and red onion. A creamy ranch sauce adds tang and herbaceous flavor.

Thai Chicken Pasta Salad

Quick-cooking ramen noodles are the base of this speedy pasta recipe. Amp up the flavor with a creamy peanut butter and coconut sauce. Crunchy veggies like cucumbers and green onion add both flavor and texture.

Tahini-Ginger Noodles and Veggies

This quick pasta recipe is equal parts salad and noodles. In addition to dried linguine, each bowl is packed with carrots, broccoli, snap peas, and mint. Don't skip the crunchy chopped nuts on top.

Spicy Beef-Noodle Bowl

A few shortcuts make this beef and noodle recipe just as quick as takeout. Thinly slice beef sirloin steak so it cooks fast. In the same Dutch oven, add broccoli, egg noodles, and bottled peanut sauce. Cook until tender and serve.

Creamy Ricotta Spaghettini with Arugula

Put that bag of arugula to good use in this fast pasta recipe. The creamy sauce is made with ricotta cheese, garlic, and Parmesan. As one reviewer raved, "Great creamy pasta recipe. Super easy. Arugula adds a peppery touch to the mild garlic flavor."