This list of vegetarian pasta recipes has all the essentials—and each recipe is Test Kitchen-approved.
45 Gorgeous Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
Updated on Sep. 04, 2024
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Vegetarian Linguine
Looking for a tasty alternative to a meat-and-potatoes meal? Try this colorful pasta dish, which is the brainchild of my oldest son. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs meal that includes loads of fresh veggies as well as basil and provolone. —Jane Bone, Cape Coral, Florida
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Stuffed Shells
This stuffed shells recipe includes a savory, creamy filling of four cheeses and spinach. Topped with rich tomato sauce, it's an easy vegetarian main dish the whole family will gobble up.
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Spinach Tortellini
This spinach tortellini is the perfect blend of cheesy and creamy. Best of all, it comes together in just 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Don't tell anyone, but this butternut squash mac and cheese recipe has a secret. It incorporates a nutritious vegetable and cuts out the butter, but it's still so rich!
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Creamy Lemon Pasta
Silky strands of fettuccine tangle in a lemon-garlic sauce in this creamy lemon pasta. Pops of fresh tomato, garlic and parsley add flavor, and a finishing sprinkle of lemon zest shines through the richness of the sauce.
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Ravioli Casserole
Love lasagna but want something simpler to make? Try our ravioli casserole—all the cheese and sauce, and it's ready in no time.
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Spinach Artichoke Lasagna
Spinach artichoke lasagna is just like your favorite dip turned into a hearty, comforting meal. This baked pasta comes together fast with premade Alfredo sauce and no-cook noodles, and the extra cheesiness will turn heads at the dinner table.
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Ziti Bake
My children have frowned upon many of my casserole recipes, but they give a cheer when they hear we're having baked ziti for supper. I've tried to incorporate more meatless meals into our menus, which is how this recipe got started. No one misses the meat. They even like the leftovers! —Charity Burkholder, Pittsboro, Indiana
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Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
You can recreate Olive Garden Alfredo sauce at home in only 20 minutes! This rich, creamy, cheesy sauce makes a fantastic fettuccine Alfredo—but you can use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks, too.
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Homemade Ravioli
Ravioli from scratch is a labor of love, but a delicious one. This guide will help you whip up pasta dough, sauce and a fantastic filling.
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Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat
Ditch the store-bought marinara for this spaghetti sauce without meat. You can prepare a batch to toss on pasta, eggplant Parmesan or a pizza.
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Pasta Bake with Feta
Sometimes, things go viral for a good reason, and this pasta bake with feta is a dish deserving of its internet fame. Creamy, savory, tangy and maybe the easiest pasta dish you've ever made, this one will be making regular appearances at your dinner table.
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Pasta Primavera
This pasta primavera is a wonderful blend of crisp, colorful vegetables and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. Simplicity has seldom been so delicious!
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Manicotti
Ricotta-and-Parmesan-stuffed manicotti, baked in rich marinara sauce, makes a hearty and impressive vegetarian main dish. Smart shortcuts, like using store-bought marinara sauce and stuffing the manicotti before cooking them, keep the prep time short.
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Ravioli with Creamy Squash Sauce
Store-bought ravioli speeds assembly of this cozy, restaurant-quality dish that tastes so good your family won't notice it's meatless. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Spaghetti with Four Cheeses
This creamy and cheesy spaghetti dish is my mainstay whenever company's coming. The recipe, handed down from my aunt, is on the table in 30 minutes. As cook and hostess, I never feel hurried preparing this meal. —Nella Parker, Hersey, Michigan
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Spinach Tomato Pasta
Big flavor meets a quick prep in spinach tomato pasta, packed with veggies and easy enough for a weeknight.
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Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese
Yes, it's a recipe for mac and cheese with cream cheese. And regular cheese. And it's a dish that you're going to make again and again, soon with your own favorite variations.
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Penne with Veggies and Black Beans
Chock-full of zucchini, tomatoes, sweet pepper and carrots, this hearty pasta dish puts your garden harvest to good use. For variety, I sometimes add one-half cup of salsa or one-half cup of thickened teriyaki sauce. —Vickie Spoerle, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Pesto Ravioli
This five-ingredient ravioli and pesto recipe takes only 20 minutes to make, including prep time!
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Cacio e Pepe
It sounds like a fancy Italian dish, but cacio e pepe is a simple dinner that's easy to make.
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Garlic Spaghetti
Call it spaghetti aglio e olio, call it garlic spaghetti or call it delicious—any of those will be perfectly accurate!
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Lemon Ricotta Pasta
This pasta is a perfect weeknight dinner, especially during the spring and summer months because of the bright lemon flavor. It also tastes great topped with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper and basil. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Nutty Cheese Tortellini
I like to plant Italian flat-leaf parsley in a long terra-cotta planter so I always have some on hand. It adds bright, fresh flavor to this pasta dish. —Barbara Penatzer, Vestal, New York
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Greek Spaghetti
In just about 30 minutes, you can make this beautiful Greek spaghetti. With an aromatic blend of herbs and an array of fresh vegetables, this pasta is sure to brighten any day.
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Lemony Mushroom Lasagna Roll-Ups
I love lasagna and usually make it the traditional way, but I couldn't get the idea of a lemon ricotta filling out of my head. These bright roll-ups because they are easy to assemble and serve. —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas
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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
The best-ever creamy mac and cheese recipe that will transport your tastebuds back to your childhood.
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Pesto Lasagna
Pesto lasagna forgoes the meat and red sauce for pesto, homemade bechamel and spinach. The recipe is new and exciting but just as cozy as traditional lasagna.
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Creamy Lemon Pasta Primavera
This pasta primavera is loaded with pretty green peas and asparagus tossed in a light lemon cream sauce. It’s a dish you’ll find yourself craving even when it's not spring! You can also cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces. If you do, double the sauté time. —Grace Vallo, Salem, New Hampshire
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Decadent Spinach-Stuffed Shells
This comforting dish can easily be assembled and frozen to bake at a later date. If you have any leftover cheese mixture, it can be served as a dip, either cold or spooned into ramekins and baked until browned. If you don’t like roasted red peppers, feel free to use chopped sun-dried tomatoes in the filling and any other pasta sauce instead. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
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Pesto Penne Pasta
Once you master pesto, there are so many things you can do with it, like make this pesto penne pasta.
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Burrata Ravioli
Using burrata cheese as ravioli filling is easy and really delivers on flavor. Instead of mixing up ingredients for the filling, this quicker version uses chunks of burrata and fresh basil to create a luscious interior. Serve the ravioli with your favorite sauce. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Burrata Pasta
This burrata pasta is cheesy yet light and packed with fresh ingredients. It's the simplest way to elevate a weeknight dinner.
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Penne All'Arrabiata
Pasta all'arrabiata, a classic Italian recipe, is my comfort food be it summer or winter. My kids and I love sprinkling pangrattato (fried bread crumbs) on top of the arrabiata sauce. —Smitha Haridasan, Ganapathy, India
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Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce
This recipe for tortellini with tomato cream sauce is exactly what you need if you're looking for a rich, satisfying meal that comes together quickly. At 25 minutes of prep, it's quick enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for guests.
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Five-Cheese Ziti al Forno
Five-cheese ziti al forno is an Olive Garden copycat classic that's loaded with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and provolone cheeses and baked to golden perfection with a crunchy topping. It's the perfect comfort food for cheese enthusiasts.
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Pumpkin Ravioli
Start this pumpkin ravioli recipe by taking a hayride to a pumpkin patch to pick out a pie pumpkin. It's a labor of love to cook the squash into a velvety herbed puree, and even more so to make and fill fresh pasta by hand. The result, tender ravioli bursting with autumnal flavor, will be worth it.
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Fettuccine with Black Bean Sauce
When my husband needed to go on a heart-smart diet, I had to come up with new ways to get more vegetables into our daily meals. This meatless spaghetti sauce is a winner; it's especially delicious with spinach fettuccine. —Marianne Neuman, East Troy, Wisconsin
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Garden Vegetable Tomato Sauce
I make this vegetable tomato sauce regularly and store containers of it in my freezer. It's a tasty substitute for regular pasta sauce, and the extra vegetables make it healthier. I also use it when I make pizza. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts
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Squash and Spinach Pierogi Casserole
This recipe is tasty and quick to make. You use prepackaged ingredients for ease and then credit the cooking to yourself! Add a salad or yummy bread as a side with this dish for an added punch. Once mastered, the substitutions are endless. This recipe can be compared to making your own individualized pizza. —Susan Skrtich, Hamilton, Ontario
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Vegetarian Pad Thai
With this vegetarian pad thai recipe, you can make a sweet-and-tangy Thai takeout classic at home.
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Vegetarian Stuffed Shells
These vegetarian stuffed shells, with a three-cheese filling flavored with broccoli and herbs, are so tasty that you won't miss the meat for a minute.Vegetarian Pasta FAQ
What type of pasta can vegetarians eat?
Pasta itself is vegetarian. The dry pasta you buy at the grocery store is only made with two ingredients: semolina flour and water. Even fresh pasta has a pretty simple ingredients list: eggs, water, olive oil, salt and flour.
How do you add protein to pasta without meat?
Easy! Pair your pasta with plant-based meat or find a way to incorporate high-protein foods like chickpeas or lentils. I like to make spaghetti and lentil “meatballs.” You can also use a plant-based protein pasta instead of the regular boxed pasta.
