12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (2024)

  • Recipes by Diet
  • Vegetarian

By

Brierley Horton, MS, RD

12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (1)

Brierley Horton, MS, RD

Brierley Horton is a registered dietitian nutritionist and experienced independent writer and editor with 15 years experience. She previously served as Food & Nutrition Director for Cooking Light magazine and was the Nutrition Editor at EatingWell magazine for nearly a decade.

Learn about BHG's Editorial Process

Updated on October 6, 2022

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Whether you're looking to change up your usual pasta dinner night or want a meatless pasta dish option, our vegetarian pasta recipes are the answer. Choose something Italian-inspired, with a creamy sauce, or a hearty pasta bake, each of these recipes comes highly-recommended by home cooks. Be sure to read the ingredient lists closely and seek out vegetarian versions of items like Parmesan cheese, broths, etc. that may be meatless but not necessarily vegetarian-friendly.

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Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Kale

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (2)

Creamy, cheesy, and studded with good-for-you kale, this pasta bake recipe is a cozy dinner for vegetarians and flexitarians. We simplify the prep and call for premade gnocchi, and you could make it even easier by using washed, bagged, trimmed kale.

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Meatless Lasagna Pie

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Turn classic lasagna on its head with our mile-high layers of noodles, vegetables, and cheesy goodness. Look for vegetarian Parmesan, or choose another hard, aged vegetarian cheese to substitute. A springform pan helps this impressive vegetarian recipe keep its form.

Our Best Lasagna Recipes That Deliver Layers and Layers of Flavor

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Butternut Squash Bake

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (4)

If you love a vegetarian lasagna but want to shake it up a bit, this creamy pasta bake is for you. Mascarpone (a mild, soft, butter-like cheese), panko breadcrumbs, and butternut squash all come together to elevate this vegetarian pasta dinner.

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Orecchiette with Creamed Corn, Tomatoes, and Arugula

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (5)

Sweet corn, grape tomatoes, and arugula add bright flavor to this quick vegetarian pasta recipe. A creamy yet light sauce rounds out this easy pasta recipe. Look for a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan and skip the Pecorino Romano.

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Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (6)

Meat lovers won't miss the meat in this savory veggie-packed lasagna recipe—hello mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots! Plus, it's deliciously cheesy thanks to cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan (though be sure to seek out vegetarian-friendly cheeses).

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Lemon-Basil Pasta

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Sometimes pasta is synonymous with simple. And boy does this vegetarian pasta dinner recipe deliver! It calls for only five ingredients and the delicious sauce is just lemon, basil, and olive oil.

Delicious Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes

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Smoky Mushroom Stroganoff

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (8)

Meaty mushrooms in an easy-to-make creamy sauce top egg noodles for a hearty vegetarian twist on a classic Italian favorite. This vegetarian pasta recipe is healthy and quick—and comes together in under 20 minutes.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Dinners to Try Tonight

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Cauliflower Gnocchi

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This vegetarian pasta recipe not only capitalizes on the cauliflower trend, but also ups your veggie count thanks to a combination of potato and cauliflower in the gnocchi. To make sure this recipe is truly vegetarian, look for a vegetarian Parmesan cheese.

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Cheesy Shell-Stuffed Shells

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (10)

Forgo your regular mac and cheese for this over-the-top spin on the fan-favorite pasta dish. This creamy vegetarian pasta recipe stuffs cheesy mini shells inside jumbo shells and covers it in a creamy tomato-vodka sauce.

These Top Mac and Cheese Recipes Are Gooey Perfection

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Veggies

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We took this classic creamy Italian vegetarian pasta recipe and cranked it up a notch. Adding Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes make this Alfredo pasta dish anything but basic. Bonus: You can pull the impressive dish together in just 15 minutes.

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Vegetable-Polenta Lasagna

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This delicious vegetarian lasagna full of fresh and flavorful veggies has a twist: Instead of noodles, try using polenta, an Italian cornmeal commonly used in northern Italy.

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Butternut Squash Lasagna

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (13)

This creamy vegetarian pasta bake is a dinner recipe the whole family will love. Tender butternut squash joins deliciously with fresh rosemary, cream, and Parmesan cheese (a vegetarian one, of course)—and no-boil noodles keep prep time a little shorter.

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12 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That Satisfy (2024)

FAQs

What are the big four pasta dishes? ›

There are four classic Roman pasta dishes: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, and alla gricia. Each one is a variation on the other — alla gricia is cacio e pepe plus guanciale, carbonara is gricia plus egg, and so on. These four dishes are famous in all of Italian cooking, not just in Rome.

What type of pasta can vegetarians eat? ›

Vegetarians can eat pasta. The only ingredients included in dried pasta are usually wheat flour and water. Fresh pasta usually includes egg. If you are a vegetarian that does not consume eggs, be sure to check that the pasta you are buying does not have egg listed as an ingredient.

What is Trinity pasta? ›

The "Holy Trinity" of Italian Pasta: Amatriciana; Carbonara; Cacio e Pepe. There might be nothing more comforting in this world than a generous mound of perfectly al dente pasta with just the right amount of sugo.

What is the best pasta dish of all time? ›

From the decadent to the everyday staple, here are our best Italian pasta recipes.
  • Pici all'Aglione.
  • Pasta al Tonno.
  • Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe.
  • Lasagne alla Bolognese.
  • Pasta all'Arrabbiata.
  • Lo Spaghetto al Pomodoro.
  • Ziti alla Norma.
  • Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.

Why is Parmesan not vegetarian? ›

If you look carefully at your food label, you might see just “enzymes” on the back of the package with little to no further explanation. This refers to either animal, plant, or microbial enzymes. Parmesan is always made with animal enzymes, also called animal rennet, meaning it's not vegetarian.

Why is garlic bread not vegan? ›

Generally speaking, the actual dough used in garlic bread is vegan. What could catch you out is the butter contents. Fortunately though, a lot of shop-bought garlic bread uses margarine or olive oil – so just make sure to check the ingredients first!

What can I put in pasta instead of meat? ›

36 Meatless Pasta Dishes That Are So Good You Won't Even Notice The Lack Of Meat
  1. Spaghetti With Garlic And Oil. tasty.co. ...
  2. Peanut Noodle Pasta Salad. tasty.co. ...
  3. Cacio e Pepe. ...
  4. Red Wine Spaghetti. ...
  5. Sweet Potato Mushroom Penne. ...
  6. Garlic Veggie Rotini Pasta. ...
  7. Farfalle with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Goat Cheese. ...
  8. Easy Butternut Squash Ravioli.
Apr 2, 2024

What are the 12 types of pasta? ›

12 Different Types of Pasta You Should to Try This Year
  • Bow Tie Pasta (Farfalle) It is also known as bow-tie pasta because it resembles a small bow tie with a frilled edge. ...
  • Ditalini Pasta. ...
  • Fettuccine Pasta. ...
  • Fusilli pasta. ...
  • Gnocchi. ...
  • Lasagna. ...
  • Linguine. ...
  • Rigatoni.
Dec 29, 2022

What is the most eaten pasta in Italy? ›

Spaghetti is the most popular pasta in Italy–at least according to a July 2021 poll by the Unione Italiana Food ranking the country's top ten pasta shapes. Spaghetti nabbing the number one spot will hardly come as a shock; it's undoubtedly the pasta shape most strongly associated with Italian cuisine.

What can I put in pasta instead of sauce? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Do Italians put vegetables in pasta? ›

Almost any vegetable can be added, courgettes, aubergines, artichokes, peas, broad beans and so on. They can be used with tomatoes of not, sometimes with some cheese (parmigiano reggiano, ricotta forte, ricotta salata, pecorino and so on) grated in the end.

What vegetable tastes like pasta? ›

Spaghetti Squash

It's right there in the name. Spaghetti squash is an ideal pasta substitute because you can scrape the inside with a fork to create vegetable-based, spaghetti-like noodles.

What are the big four pastas in Rome? ›

The iconic quartet of carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia make up the four most famous and beloved Roman pasta dishes. Find out more about them with our handy guide.

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