Toss out the notion that your pasta routine has to be boring—these 17 pasta dishes are game-changers that belong in your recipe box. Whether it’s a cozy night in or a dinner party, these recipes promise to spice up your pasta game with flavors that everyone will love. Don’t settle for the same old spaghetti; these pasta creations are your ticket to cooking excitement!
![Gnocchi in Lemon-Parmesan Sauce on a black plate.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/gnocchi-finished-1h.jpg)
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
![Pasta e Fagioli Soup in 2 bowls with spoons.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pasta-soup-finished-2H.jpg)
Listen up, soup lovers and pasta aficionados, because Pasta e Fagioli Soup is where your worlds collide. This is no ordinary bowl of liquid; it’s a hearty embrace of pasta, beans, and all things Italian in a soup that’s more like a festa in a bowl. You’ll want to grab a spoon and shout “Buon appetito” with every bite.
Get the Recipe: Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
![A bowl of pasta with cherry tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, and garlic.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pasta-with-cherry-tomatoes-horizontal.webp)
In a world of overcomplicated meals, Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce is the breath of fresh air your kitchen needed. It’s like taking a summer stroll with cherry tomatoes bursting with juiciness in every bite. Simple, fresh, and utterly delicious, this dish reminds you why sometimes, the best things in life aren’t that complicated.
Get the Recipe: Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
Steak & Pasta Salad
![A black bowl filled with a pasta salad containing farfalle, steak slices, radishes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, nuts, and crumbled blue cheese, garnished with parsley, on a wooden board next to a spoon.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/steakhouse-pasta-salad-closeup.jpg)
Whoever said you can’t have your steak and eat pasta too clearly never met Steak & Pasta Salad. It’s like that cool hybrid vehicle, only yummier—you get the hearty kick of steak with the twirlable fun of pasta. It’s for those times when you’re indecisive and the only decision you want to make is to fork up a steak-tossed pasta whirlwind.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
![Chicken cordon bleu casserole on a black plate with a fork.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/chicken-cordon-bleu-caserole-horizontal.jpg)
Imagine chicken and ham got cozy in a dish, blanketed under a creamy, cheesy sauce—that’s Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole for you. It’s like someone took all the fancy out of chicken cordon bleu, made it super chill, and said, “Let’s just bake this and call it awesome.” Comfort food just levelled up and threw on a stretchy pants suit.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
![A bowl of Mediterranean orzo salad on a black plate.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mediterranean-orzo-salad-horizontal.jpg)
Ahoy, flavor adventure seekers! Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp is your first-class ticket to a cooking cruise across the Med. Orzo and shrimp are throwing a party with olives and feta, and guess what? You’re the guest of honor. Put on your sailor hat because this salad is setting sail straight to Yum Town.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
![A hand holding a spoonful of creamy chicken noodle soup with vegetables over a bowl, accompanied by slices of bread on a plate.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup-finished-2ha.jpg)
Sick days or snow days, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is the trusty friend you call on when you need a little TLC. It’s got all the comforts of your classic chicken noodle but wrapped in a creamy hug that says, “Everything’s gonna be all right.” It’s the spoonful of comfort we all crave when the going gets tough, or when we just want soup.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs
![A close-up of a dish featuring colorful tortellini mixed with meatballs, spinach, and chopped red bell peppers, topped with melted cheese, served in a white bowl.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/blackstone-tortellini-with-meatballs-closeup.jpg)
Imagine being a knight at the round table, but instead of fighting dragons, you’re battling the urge not to devour the entire pan of Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs. This dish is where pasta meets valiant meatballs in a legendary saucy encounter. You’ll slay your hunger beast and probably ask for seconds. Armor not required, but an appetite surely is.
Get the Recipe: Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs
Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
![A black bowl filled with rotisserie chicken pasta salad.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/close-up-6.jpg)
So, you’ve got leftover chicken again, and you’re about as excited as a wet cat. Enter: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad. This dish turns your “meh” chicken into a “wow” salad faster than you can say “leftover makeover.” It’s like giving your chicken a spa day, complete with a pasta pool and a veggie massage.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Smoked Shotgun Shells
![Smoked shotgun shells on a white plate.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/shotgun-shells-finished3-e1692404360333.jpg)
Welcome to the wild west of flavor town, where Smoked Shotgun Shells are the sheriff, and boring dinners are the outlaw. Loaded with smoky goodness, each bite is like firing off a round of deliciousness straight into your flavor saloon. Saddle up, partner, because this meal’s about to take you on a tastebud roundup like no other.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Shotgun Shells
Salmon Pasta Salad
![Salmon pasta salad in a black dish.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Salmon-Pasta-Salad.jpg)
When salmon said, “I’m going on a carb vacation,” it packed its bags and nestled into a Salmon Pasta Salad. Imagine the omega-3 superstar taking a dive into a refreshing pool of pasta, greens, and a dressing that screams “summertime vibes.” It’s the cooking equivalent of a beach holiday, minus the sand in your shoes.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad
Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken
![Kale and tortellini soup in a bowl on a wooden table.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/tortellini-chicken-soup-resized-1.jpg)
If Superman had a favorite soup, it would probably be Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken. It’s the Clark Kent of soups—mild-mannered chicken and tortellini at first, then BAM! Kale swoops in to save the day, packing a superfood punch. It’s the kind of soup that’s ready to rescue your dinner plans at a moment’s notice.
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken
Pesto Orzo Salad
![Orzo salad resting on a dark plate.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/pesto-orzo-salad-finished-3H.jpg)
On days when you want to feel fancy without donning the tux, Pesto Orzo Salad steps in. It’s like tiny pasta pearls adorned with the green jewels of pesto, making every forkful a ritzy affair. You’ll feel like royalty dining in the garden of freshness, and no one has to know it was oh-so-easy.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad
Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells
![Giant Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells in two black serving dishes.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/giant-shells-finished-1H.jpg)
Ever wished you could fall into a cheesy, saucy embrace? Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells are your dream come true, with pasta shells so packed with cheese they’re practically bursting. This dish is the cooking hug you’ve been searching for, with every forkful saying, “It’s gonna be okay.” Just dive into the cheesy abyss and forget your worries.
Get the Recipe: Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells
Greek Spaghetti
![A bowl of pasta with tomatoes, feta and kalamata olives.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/greek-spaghetti-finished-4h-1.jpg)
Forget about smashing plates; let’s twirl forks with Greek Spaghetti. This dish takes you on a Grecian holiday faster than you can say “Opa!” It’s spaghetti gone wild on a feta-fueled adventure, mingling with olives and herbs in a way that’ll make your heart do the Zorba dance.
Get the Recipe: Greek Spaghetti
Tortellini Soup with Sausage
![Tortellini Soup with Sausage in a white bowl.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1200-x-875-1.jpg)
Ever found yourself cuddled up in a blanket, dreaming of something warm and comforting? Cue in the superstar of comfort foods: Tortellini Soup with Sausage. It’s like getting a warm hug from a bowl of sausage, tortellini, and all that broth-y goodness. Seriously, if meals could hug, this one would be your grandma in soup form.
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Soup with Sausage
Turkey Stuffed Shells with Pesto
![Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Pasta Shells in a black cast iron dish.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/turkey-and-pesto-stuffed-shells.webp)
It’s Thanksgiving, but Italiano style! With Turkey Stuffed Shells with Pesto, you’re not just eating; you’re embarking on a flavor trip to the heart of Italy—without the jet lag. Think of it as traditional turkey’s cooler, trendier cousin who studied abroad and brought back some saucy, pesto-packed recipes. Oh, and it’ll charm the apron off your nonna.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Stuffed Shells with Pesto
Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce
![Gnocchi in Lemon-Parmesan Sauce on a black plate.](https://fooddrinklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/gnocchi-finished-1h.jpg)
Picture this: You’re lounging in a gondola, and Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce is your gondolier gently rowing you through canals of creamy, citrusy goodness. This dish is the vacay to Italy your mouth was dreaming of, with every bite whispering “ti amo” in flavors so divine, you might just whisper it back.
Get the Recipe: Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce