If you forced me to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be pasta. It’s the food that keeps on giving and the dinner that I can always get behind. I grew up eating buttered noodles, I always have red sauce in my refrigerator, and I think my heart skips a beat when I see vodka pasta on a menu. And currently? I have a pretty serious relationship with vegetarian pasta recipes that satisfy all my carb cravings while also including some veggies.
20 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes You’ll Want for Dinner Tonight
My current lazy girl dinner is bucatini (elite) topped with a good store-bought pasta sauce, warmed up with some spinach mixed in. It may not be glamorous, but it’s a quick and delicious meal that never fails me. But when I have a little more free time, I turn to one of these vegetarian pasta recipes. Each and every one of these recipes has earned a spot on this list for being vegetarian (obviously), easy to prepare (most in under 30 minutes), and undeniably delicious (a huge crowd-pleaser).
Go ahead and boil a pot of water now, because these vegetarian pasta recipes are on the menu tonight, tomorrow, and all week long.
Caprese Pasta Salad with Roasted Red Pepper
This Caprese-inspired pasta salad is summer in a bowl: bright, salty, and substantial enough to be a complete meal. Sun-dried tomatoes and fresh arugula take it from classic to truly craveable.
Simple Zucchini Pasta
Caramelized zucchini, aromatic herbs, zesty lemon, and nutty Parmesan make this one of those simple pasta recipes that is somehow greater than the sum of its parts. Do it once and it’ll be on rotation forever.
Pasta with burst tomato
This sauce contains three types of tomatoes, and the result is the most luxurious, deep-flavored pasta dish you’ll make all summer. Five ingredients, one pan, zero complaints.
Ricotta and lemon pasta
The secret to the silkiest pasta sauce you’ve ever tasted? Zucchini, yes! Bright, creamy and full of flavor, this redefines what a weeknight pasta can be.
Pasta with capers and sun-dried tomatoes
Spicy capers and rich sun-dried tomatoes come together in a sauce so good you’ll want to eat it straight from the pan. (Speaking from experience here.) This is the pasta you make when you’re officially done cooking, and it still manages to impress.
Ratatouille-Style Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Born from a happy ratatouille accident, this end-of-summer pasta simmers eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers in an almost stew-like sauce that’s both cozy and vibrant. The best of late summer production, in a single bowl.
Blistered broccolini pasta with garlic, lemon and toasted breadcrumbs
Tons of garlic, bright lemon, and crunchy homemade breadcrumbs turn a simple weeknight pasta into something worth highlighting. The broccolini is beautifully blistered, adding just enough bite to keep each bite interesting.
Pasta Salad with Feta-Lemon Tahini Dressing
Creamy tahini, bright lemon, and salty feta cheese come together in a dressing that elevates this pasta salad far beyond the ordinary. Prepare it, serve it cold, and watch it disappear.
Miso Tomato Paste
A surprising dollop of miso transforms peak-season tomatoes into a silky, deeply flavorful sauce that tastes much more complex than it should. This is the late-summer refrigerator-clearing dinner that’s become a perennial staple.
Green Sauce Pasta
An entire serving of vegetables that you won’t even notice? Bright. This is the pasta you make when you want something healthy but indulgent.
Vegan Mushroom and White Bean Meatballs
Mushrooms and cannellini beans combine to form vegan meatballs that are hearty, filling, and truly delicious, piled high on a plate of spaghetti. Meatless Monday never looked so good.
Summer Pasta Salad
Fresh basil, chives, and arugula straight from the garden make this colorful pasta salad the ultimate rainbow-eating summer dinner. It assembles quickly and holds up beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep or a backyard get-together.
Nerano Spaghetti
This Stanley Tucci-inspired pasta is proof that all you need for a transcendent dinner is zucchini, cheese, and a good olive oil. Simple, elegant and unmistakably Italian.
Pasta with spicy pesto alla vodka
Tieghan Gerard’s Classic Vodka Pasta is the recipe you’ll make for every occasion, from a lazy Tuesday night to a dinner party that’s meant to impress. Rich, creamy and completely unforgettable.
Lemon carbonara pasta with peas and zucchini
Bright lemon, sweet peas, and tender zucchini give this carbonara a fresh, spring-like feel that makes it feel as appropriate for a fancy dinner party as it does for a weeknight at home.
Pumpkin Gnocchi
Fluffy gnocchi combines with the welcoming flavors of fall in a dish that is both comforting and impressive. The kind of recipe that makes fall worth waiting for.
Baked gnocchi with pesto and cheese
Introducing: all the creamy pesto comfort you could want on a cold night. Spinach sneaks into greens so easily that you’ll forget it’s there.
One Pot Parmesan Orzo
Lots of spring vegetables and enough Parmesan to make you feel like you’re eating macaroni and cheese (but better). This is a comfort food that really earns the nickname.
Vegan Tofu and Mushroom Bolognese
Shredded mushrooms and tofu are slow-cooked into a rich, deeply satisfying sauce that gives traditional bolognese a run for its money. It’s the cozy fall dinner that will convert even the most committed carnivores to your table.
Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter
There’s not much to say about this dish except: you’ll be surprised at how luxurious it tastes and how incredibly simple it is to prepare.
