You can never go wrong with a bowl of pasta. It’s the ultimate comfort food, a quick and easy dish to make and always a hit with even the fussiest kids. If you’re on the hunt for fast mid-week meals to whip up after work, these 20 recipes will help get dinner on the table in a flash.
Discover creamy carbonaras, 10-minute pasta dishes, one-pot tomato tray bakes and flavour-filled vegie options.
An old-fashioned classic pasta bake the whole family will enjoy. Our tuna veg and pasta mornay makes the perfect weeknight meal, and the whole family will love it!
This Mexican-inspired pasta is quick, easy and delicious. The shell pasta is the perfect vessel to scoop up all that cheesy sauce, but you can always choose your favourite fresh or dried pasta instead.
Colin Fassnidge’s delicious green pasta sauce is made with broccolini, Swiss chard, baby spinach and loads of herbs…but really, whatever green vegies you have wilting in the bottom of your fridge will work well.
Packed with pancetta, pesto, bocconcini and baby spinach, this colourful and Italian-inspired pasta salad is so versatile. You can whip it up for a sit-down meal or backyard barbie.
An easy one-tray bake the whole family will enjoy. With a hint of spice, and lots of hidden veg, these pasta shells will keep everyone full and satisfied for longer. This one takes a little longer with a whole hour in the kitchen, but it’s well worth the wait!
This Bolognese recipe only needs one pot and five ingredients, making it ideal for family dinner on a busy weeknight. The passata, mushrooms and onion give this dish everything it needs to satisfy your tastebuds.
Karen Martini knows how to make dinner with little ingredients but extra flavour. This carbonara is truly authentic, with only a handful of ingredients needed. It’s 20 minutes of prep and cooking, and then you’re set for a delicious, Italian dinner.
Seafood pasta always looks impressive but is so simple to prepare. You can get this light and creamy dish on the table in just 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re entertaining!
Smoky, rich and ridiculously easy, this BBQ tomato pasta sauce is made for nights when you want maximum flavour with minimal effort.
When looking for a simple and delicious dinner, nothing beats a budget-friendly tuna pasta. Put a green spin on a classic with asparagus, green beans and parsley.
Cherry tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzarella and fragrant basil come together in Matt Moran’s baked risoni. It’s a deliciously simple recipe that delivers big comfort with minimal effort. It’s rich without being heavy, simple enough for weeknights and impressive enough for guests.
A hearty casserole for all the family, this meatball and risoni bake is a one-pan wonder. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any day of the week.
Forget bubble-and-squeak, this is leftover lamb’s new favourite place to be, tossed in a sauce and relish.
Sausage, tomato and pesto, what a combo! And when you add gnocchi to the mix, you’re sure to entice even the pickiest eater. A gnocchi tray bake is a sure-fire winner for family dinner!
It’s the world’s easiest and simplest pasta dish… and possibly the most delicious too. Cacio e pepe combines a few inexpensive ingredients – pasta, butter, pepper, cheese and parsley – in a clever dish that comes together in 20 minutes or less.
Lasagne has always been a labour of love…until now. You can still add the love in, but there’s no longer as much elbow grease involved with this frying pan lasagna. Make your sauce and throw everything in the one saucepan, making a usually time-consuming dish as easy as can be!
This is a whole new way of thinking about pasta sauce. The result is stellar, but the work involved is far easier than you might expect. It’s really just you and a good heavy roasting pan.
Forget grilling snags or boiling spaghetti, this recipe is a game-changer. You squeeze the sausage filling into the pan, fry it up, then add tomato paste, cherry tomatoes and water. When it boils you pop the pasta in, too, giving it a cook and a stir. You’ll never go back!
Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, but Karen Martini will add a few of her favourite ingredients to elevate the flavours. This mac and cheese will smell so good that holding your family back from eating it will be the most challenging part of the recipe.
This is the quickest dinner you could make on a weeknight. Coming together in just 10 minutes, this pasta dish only uses pantry staples, and a pasta shape that takes just 4 minuters in boiling water.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Share this post