21 5-Star Vegetarian Pasta Dishes To Add To Your Menu
William Dickey
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Trade your average spaghetti and meatballs for one of these tasty vegetarian pasta dishes! Whether you follow a fully vegetarian lifestyle or simply want to increase your veggie intake, these dishes contain plenty of flavorful vegetables. Having earned five stars from EatingWellour readers, you won’t regret giving them a try. Options like our Rotini with Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce and Beet Pasta with Goat Cheese & Walnuts make delicious, veggie-packed pasta dishes that are perfect for any occasion.
Rotini with Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
William Dickey
This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce, spiked with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, is a great fall alternative to traditional tomato-based sauce. Here, we serve it with pasta, but it can also be used on pizza or as a dipping sauce alongside fresh-baked breadsticks.
Lemony Zucchini Pasta
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
This lemon zucchini pasta only takes 25 minutes to make, making it ideal for busy summer evenings. Fresh zucchini blends perfectly with the lemony sauce. If you have summer squash on hand, you can use that instead. You can also experiment with topping the pasta with different fresh herbs like basil or parsley to add variety.
Beet Pasta with Goat Cheese & Walnuts
Beets are blended to create a vibrant sauce for an easy way to amp up your veggie intake. We use marinated beets for extra flavor, but you can easily substitute plain cooked beets—just add a bit of lemon juice or white-wine vinegar to balance the sauce. Goat cheese adds creaminess while walnuts provide a satisfying crunch in this healthy pasta dish.
Melting Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta
Ali Redmond
This simple yet delicious pasta dish combines cherry tomatoes with mozzarella, highlighting their natural sweetness and mozzarella’s creamy, gooey texture. Mozzarella pearls are the perfect size for mixing into the finished dish. If you can’t find them, chopped fresh mozzarella will work well too.
Creamy Bruschetta Pasta
Got garden-fresh tomatoes? This simple vegetarian pasta is a great place to use them up. Both large tomatoes and cherry tomatoes work well. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese elevates the flavor, while a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze at the end adds a sweet note.
Creamy Spinach Pasta with White Beans
Here, we whir up fresh spinach and kale with cream cheese and Gruyère for the luscious sauce that highlights this rich pasta dish. Paired with beans, it makes a filling vegetarian meal.
Summer Squash Pasta with Sungold Tomatoes
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
This warm summer squash pasta is quick to pull together and won’t disappoint. The roasted Sungold tomatoes add sweetness and subtle acidity to the dish that pairs winningly with fresh mint and Parmesan. We love the vibrant glow of Sungold tomatoes, but red grape tomatoes will work just as well.
Creamy Feta & Tomato Pasta
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Prop stylist: Shell Royster, Food stylist: Emily Hall
This creamy feta-and-tomato pasta puts a satisfying vegetarian dinner on the table using only 5 simple ingredients. Cherry tomatoes are a go-to when tomato season is not at its peak. Grape tomatoes provide a sweet and juicy alternative, ensuring a satisfying and flavorful meal.
Penne with Zucchini & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Courtesy Photo
First created by Chef Maria Grazia, who served her signature zucchini pasta in the idyllic village of Nerano on the Amalfi Coast, this version stays close to the original, with zucchini, a rather flavorless vegetable on its own, caramelized until the flavor intensifies to what can only be described as transformative.
Mushroom-Miso Pasta
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
This miso pasta features mushrooms, another umami-forward ingredient that takes this quick vegetarian recipe to the next level. We use white miso, which is light and slightly sweet. Whisking the miso into the reserved cooking water makes it easier to incorporate into the pasta.
Cauliflower Gnocchi Caprese
This super-easy dish is perfect for summer. Store-bought frozen cauliflower gnocchi are crisped up in a pan, then tossed with mozzarella cheese, plenty of basil and balsamic vinegar for a hearty and healthy spin on the classic caprese salad.
Cheesy Chipotle-Cauliflower Mac
You'll barely notice the cauliflower in this comforting skillet pasta--it's pureed and mixed into the creamy cheese sauce.
Tomato & Kale Pesto Pasta
This 25-minute pasta side dish goes well with chicken or fish and can be served either warm or at room temperature. Kale and basil create a fresh-tasting pesto that is packed with protein and taste, thanks to the addition of chickpeas. We like shaved Parmesan sprinkled on the top, but feel free to add toasted pine nuts or walnuts for some crunch.
Springtime Cacio e Pepe
"Cacio e pepe" means "cheese and pepper" in Italian. This spaghetti dish, with fresh asparagus and baby arugula, is flavored with "cacio e pepe" and a little lemon zest. It's simple to prepare and on the table in just 25 minutes.
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.
Lemony Spaghetti with Parmesan & Thyme
Spinach-Tomato Macaroni & Cheese
An old-school classic gets a boost of nutrition and flavor from garlicky spinach and tomatoes in this healthy mac and cheese recipe.
Spinach-Tomato Macaroni & Cheese
Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Vegetables
This dish is an easy way to turn grilled vegetables into a satisfying meal, thanks to hearty whole-grain pasta and a quick homemade pesto.
Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Vegetables
20-Minute Pasta al Limone
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
This tart and lucious pasta al limone recipe is ready in 20 minutes. The origins of this recipe lie in Sorrento, Italy, famous for its large lemons with medium-thick, bumpy rind packed with aromatic oil and pulp with a balanced sugar content that verges on sweet. They are the lemons that brought the world limoncello and this zesty pasta dish.
Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff
This mushroom stroganoff recipe has all of the comforting flavors you love from beef stroganoff, but without any of the meat! This vegetarian dish has incredible depth; the combination of dried and fresh mushrooms makes this main feel unctuous and meaty. The sour cream and mustard add richness, while the herbs add a hit of brightness.
Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian pasta dish traditionally made with eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta salata. While not traditional, our version includes a splash of balsamic vinegar and fennel seeds for sweetness and flavor. Ricotta salata is a firm, salty cheese that, along with basil, brings brightness to this easy vegetarian dish.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
