These nutritious pasta recipes are all designed by a Registered Dietitian, try one for dinner tonight! This collection of recipes features all kinds of healthy pasta dishes, including vegetarian pastas, vegan pastas, shrimp pastas, and pasta sauces.

four images of pasta recipes with text overlay

Do you often wonder “is pasta good for you”? As a Registered Dietitian, I’m here to assure you that pasta can absolutely be a part of a healthy diet!

Is pasta healthy?

On its own, pasta is a minimally processed food, made from just wheat flour, water, and sometimes eggs. One cup of regular cooked pasta provides 2.5 grams of dietary fiber and 8 grams of plant-based protein!

What makes a pasta recipe nutritious is what you add to the pasta. Because pasta is so versatile, it’s the perfect vehicle for lots of healthy additions, like vegetables, healthy fats, and high quality proteins.

  • Vegetables add dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
  • Healthy fats you can add to pasta include olive oil, olives, nuts, and healthy pasta sauces.
  • Pasta is delicious with all sorts of proteins, including shrimp, seafood, tofu, and cheese.

As you can see, pasta can be a nutritious, well balanced meal that provides carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and healthy fat. Enjoying pasta in this way helps keep you full and satiated by slowing digestion and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Read on for all of the healthy pasta recipes, or click on the categories below to jump:

Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

Pasta with Quick & Healthy Green Sauce

This vibrant spinach and basil green sauce for pasta is a delicious way to get your greens in. Make it tonight for an easy weeknight dinner win, or meal prep a batch for a week of healthy eats! Ready in 30 minutes or less.

three bowls of quick and healthy green sauce pasta

Delicata Squash Pasta with Broccoli and Sage

This vegetarian pasta recipe is a favorite when delicata squash is available. Penne pasta is tossed with sautéed delicata squash, broccoli, sage, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. It’s a quick pasta recipe that comes together in 30 minutes or less.

Bowl of delicata squash pasta with a silver fork on a linen napkin, surrounded by different ingredients

Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

This cauliflower and kale pasta has lots of healthy vegetables, savory capers, and parmesan cheese, all tossed in the most delicious lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce. It’s easy enough to make for a weeknight meal!

bowl of cauliflower and kale pasta with lemon and parsley on white backdrop

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is an Italian pasta dish that features eggplant. It’s typically eaten in Sicily, as it originates from Catalia, Sicily. Traditional Pasta alla Norma ingredients include pasta, eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta salata cheese. To make this recipe, I stuck mostly to the traditional ingredients it calls for, but swapped out ricotta salata for parmesan and fresh mozzarella.

hands holding a bowl of pasta alla norma with fresh mozzarella balls

Kale Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta is one of those meals that proves simple is best. Made with just a handful of high quality ingredients, it is an extremely delicious and satisfying meal. This kale pesto pasta is just a minor twist on a classic pesto recipe, bringing a little different flavor and even more vibrant green color to the dish.

bowl of kale pesto pasta with ingredients surrounding it, on a white marble background

Pea Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

This pea pesto in this dish is just as delicious as classic basil pesto, but with an extra boost of nutrition. Peas add vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plant-based protein to pesto, while giving it a vibrant green hue. You’ll still find classic pesto ingredients in this recipe, including basil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.

Close up bowl of pea pesto pasta topped with roasted cherry tomatoes

Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta

This butternut squash and kale pasta is the best fall dinner recipe. It’s easy, cozy, and absolutely delicious. It has the perfect mix of savory flavors from kale, vegetable broth, white wine, and parmesan cheese, balanced out with the sweet butternut squash.

two bowls of butternut squash pasta with kale

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Pasta

This roasted pepper and tomato pasta is the ultimate vegetarian comfort dish. It’s filled with flavors of roasted vegetables, garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs. This pasta comes together easily in under 30 minutes. You can eat it warm or cold, so it’s great as leftovers as well as fresh!

Bowl of bowtie pasta with roasted peppers and tomatoes

Creamy High Protein Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

This creamy mushroom and spinach pasta contains a secret healthy ingredient that replaces heavy cream and adds plant-based protein to this dish. That high protein ingredient is not cashews or tahini. It’s TOFU! Silken tofu, to be exact. When blended, silken tofu has a similar consistency to heavy cream. It has a neutral flavor, so you can add whatever seasonings and spices you like.

mushrooms and spinach pasta topping a bowl of creamy pasta with a gold fork

Spring Pasta with Lemon, Asparagus. Mushrooms, and Peas

This pasta dish is spring in a bowl! It combines the fresh flavors of asparagus, dill and lemon for a light yet satisfying meal that comes together quickly.

Bowl of bowtie pasta with mushrooms, asparagus, peas, and parmesan cheese

Vegan Pasta Recipes

Pasta with Creamy Rosé Wine and Tomato Sauce

This creamy vegan pasta recipe combines ripe tomatoes with rosé wine and fresh basil to create a comforting blush pasta sauce that’s completely dairy free. The rosé pasta sauce is velvety, comforting, and packed full of flavor.

bowl of rose tomato basil sauce pasta with a glass of wine and other ingredients surrounding the bowl

Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

You won’t believe this sun-dried tomato pasta is completely vegan! The decadent, velvety sauce coats the noodles perfectly to create this healthy pasta recipe (yes, pasta can be healthy!). Top this pasta off with fresh basil or parsley for an easy weeknight dinner win!

hand swirling linguine from a bowl with a jar of sauce and ingredients in the background

Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce Pasta

This pasta with homemade pumpkin alfredo sauce is the ultimate comfort food. It’s rich and creamy without feeling too heavy. A deliciously savory blend of garlic, shallots, and rosemary accentuates the pumpkin flavor.

Stainless steel pan with mafaldine pasta coated in pumpkin alfredo sauce

Ratatouille Pasta

Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish made of stewed vegetables. It traditionally contains onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, and fresh herbs. This ratatouille pasta is the best warm, comforting, and healthy recipe. The ratatouille sauce is packed with vegetables and delicious flavor.

stainless steel pan filled with ratatouille pasta with a wooden mixing spoon

Shrimp Pasta Recipes

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

This angel hair pasta with shrimp and asparagus is light, yet comforting and filling at the same time. It has a hefty amount of vegetables, and paired with a lean protein like shrimp, this pasta dish is actually pretty healthy!

bowl of angel hair pasta with shrimp and asparagus with a block of parmesan cheese in the background

Shrimp Scampi Zoodles and Noodles

This recipe is a twist on classic shrimp scampi. It still has tons of garlic flavor plus lemon and white wine, but it’s paired with fresh summer basil and served over a combination of pasta and zucchini noodles (zoodles).

close up of bowl of shrimp scampi with zoodles

Baked Pasta Recipes

Easy Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Made with cheddar and parmesan cheeses, this baked pumpkin mac and cheese recipe is sure to please everyone! The ultra creamy sauce is made in a blender, so it’s easy to make for a weeknight dinner.

hands holding a ceramic dish of baked pumpkin mac and cheese with a gold serving spoon

Baked Goat Cheese Spinach Artichoke Pasta

This baked goat cheese spinach artichoke pasta was admittedly inspired by the viral TikTok baked feta pasta recipe, but I gave it my own delicious and healthy twist. This recipe is reminiscent of the classic spinach and artichoke dip, but filled with good for you ingredients like spinach, artichokes, and leeks. The best part is how easy it is to make, and it comes together in just about 30 minutes.

Baked Goat Cheese Spinach Artichoke Pasta in a rectangular white baking dish

Pasta Salad Recipes

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Looking for an easy and healthy recipe to bring to all your summer cookouts? This healthy roasted vegetable pasta salad is perfect for just that! It’s filled with tons of vegetables, fresh basil, olives, and feta cheese and tossed in a simple lemon dressing.

Healthy Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad in a large bowl with wooden mixing spoons

Caprese Orzo Salad

This caprese orzo pasta salad is bursting with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. The simple flavors work wonderfully together when mixed with orzo pasta and a homemade basil vinaigrette. 

Bowl of caprese orzo salad with cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and basil vinaigrette surrounding the bowl

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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Bowl of ratatouille pasta with gold fork and fresh basil leaves on white backdrop

20+ Easy, Healthy Pasta Recipes: Ratatouille Pasta

  • Author: Alex Aldeborgh
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: main dish
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These nutritious pasta recipes are all designed by a Registered Dietitian, try one for dinner tonight! This collection of recipes features all kinds of healthy pasta dishes, including vegetarian pastas, vegan pastas, shrimp pastas, and pasta sauces. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium eggplant, diced into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 zucchinis, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
  • 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 8 oz pasta (I used bowtie)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  2. Toss eggplant with 2 tbsp olive oil and a shake of salt and pepper, and spread out onto one sheet pan.
  3. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with 1 tbsp olive oil and a shake of salt and pepper, and spread out on the other sheet pan.
  4. Roast vegetables for 25-30 minutes, until beginning to caramelize and fork tender.
  5. While vegetables roast, prepare stovetop tomato sauce. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.
  6. Add onion and shallot with a generous shake of salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until transparent.
  7. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  8. Add Italian seasoning, stirring to coat onion mixture, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  9. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and basil. Stir to mix everything up, then cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir sauce every few minutes to ensure even cooking. Add up to 1/2 cup water as necessary to keep ingredients from sticking to the pan.
  10. Once vegetables are done roasting, stir them into the tomato sauce. Mix everything up to combine.
  11. Add balsamic vinegar plus salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
  12. While sauce simmers, prepare the pasta according to package instructions.
  13. Mix cooked pasta into the plan with sauce. Serve warm, with fresh basil for garnish.

Notes

  • Keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, and tastes good warm or cold.
  • Add freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired/not vegan.

Keywords: healthy pasta recipes, easy healthy pasta recipes, vegetarian pasta recipes, vegan pasta recipes