18 Cheesy Pasta Recipes Ready in 20 Minutes
Cozy up with a bowl of cheesy pasta for the most comforting dinner ever. From skillet lasagna to mac and cheese, these recipes come together in 20 minutes or less so you can get dinner on the table quickly. Try recipes like our Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta and our 3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli for the fastest and most flavorful meal you’ll make all week.
Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta
Tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Spaghetti with Creamy Lemon-Spinach Sauce
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Give your veggie servings a boost with this easy spaghetti with spinach sauce recipe. Loosely inspired by the flavors of classic pesto, this vibrant pasta packs in plenty of spinach and basil with a garnish of nutty walnuts and savory Parmesan cheese.
3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli
Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you’ll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can blanch the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta).
Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara
Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don’t get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.
Linguine with Lemon Alfredo Shrimp
This bright and lemony pasta dish was inspired by traditional Alfredo but comes in at only a fraction of the fat and calories. Reduced-fat cream cheese adds body to the sauce, while Parmesan cheese adds its signature robust flavor.
Creamy Spinach Pasta
This might be one of the creamiest light pasta dishes you’ve ever had! The mascarpone cheese adds a richness to the spinach pasta that’s unexpected and so delicious.
One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan
This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles.
Broccoli-Pesto Pasta
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This broccoli pesto pasta is a delicious fiber-rich dinner that can help maintain a healthy gut. Savory Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a boost of flavor that pairs well with the veggie-based pesto.
Green Goddess Ricotta Pasta
We take the flavors of green goddess dressing—lemon, anchovy and herbs—and use them as the base for a colorful, bright pasta sauce. Adding ricotta to the sauce creates a luscious, velvety texture, while the acidity from the lemon juice balances out the creaminess.
Classic Mac & Cheese
No sneaky ingredients here, just delicious comfort food. Whole-wheat noodles add fiber, while sharp Cheddar adds richness. A hefty twist of black pepper balances the cheese’s salty tang.
Creamy Green Pea Pesto Pasta
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Mint, peas, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese are a natural pairing in this creamy pasta dish. If you have pine nuts on hand, sprinkle them over the top for a little crunch.
Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta
If you’ve ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here’s what’s almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
Jasmine Comer
This easy skillet dinner is the ultimate weeknight comfort food—no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called “pearls”) in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.
Cherry Tomato & Garlic Pasta
This easy and healthy cherry tomato pasta recipe takes just 20 minutes to prep, so it’s a perfect weeknight dinner. Cooking garlic cloves whole and then mashing them into the sauce not only saves time, it creates a mellow garlic flavor that melds seamlessly into the silky burst cherry tomatoes.
Lemony Spaghetti with Parmesan & Thyme
Brie Passano
This simple lemony spaghetti with Parmesan and thyme is delicious on its own or jazzed up with leftover cooked chicken or veggies.
One-Pot Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta
This creamy chicken and mushroom pasta recipe makes for an easy weeknight dinner. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time when cooking, and leftover chicken would work just as well.
Creamy Broccoli Pasta
If you’re looking for a simple weeknight pasta dish, look no further. This vegetarian dinner is done in only 20 minutes and packs plenty of broccoli along with creamy goodness thanks to mascarpone cheese and low-fat Greek yogurt.
Chicken Carbonara
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
This chicken carbonara has the standard all-yolk sauce, which yields a rich and creamy texture. Pecorino Romano provides the traditional flavors and a delicious savoriness that pairs well with the tender shredded chicken.
