30 Lighter Pasta Recipes to Try Making

30 Lightened-Up Versions of Your Favorite Pasta Recipes

What’s Gaby Cooking

You’ve been trying to keep it healthy, but when it’s cold and blustery, you’re not exactly craving salad. Enter these 30 pasta recipes: all the flavor and comfort you’ve been craving, with a little less guilt.

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lightened up pastas vegan spaghetti squash mushroom marinara recipe

Spoon Fork Bacon

1/30

Vegan Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Marinara Sauce

Psst: Subbing in veggies for pasta means you can have two bowls.

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lightened up pastas skinny fettuccine alfredo recipe

Chef Savvy

2/30

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

The creamy taste you’re craving, for under 500 calories a serving.

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lightened up pastas greek yogurt macaroni and cheese recipe

Cooking Ala Mel

3/30

Creamy Greek Yogurt Macaroni and Cheese

Don’t tell the kids it’s secretly healthy—they’ll never know the difference.

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lightened up pastas carrot gnocchi recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4/30

Carrot Pasta

These pillowy gnocchi clones use carrots instead of potatoes, which means more vitamins and fewer calories.

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lightened up pastas vegan creamy pesto recipe

Oh My Veggies

5/30

Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta

Need an easy weeknight dinner? Use store-bought pesto.

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lightened up pastas skinny fajita shrimp recipe

Pinch of Yum

6/30

Skinny Fajita Shrimp Pasta

Make it with whole-wheat pasta for a little extra virtue.

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lightened up pastas lemon broccolini pasta recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7/30

Lemon Broccolini Pasta

Infinitely more elegant than spaghetti with tomato sauce.

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lightened up pastas sundried tomato red lentil pasta recipe

Half Baked Harvest

8/30

Golden Sundried Tomato Red Lentil Pasta

This bright red pasta is packed with fiber and healthy carbs—plus, it’s so much prettier than the regular kind.

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lightened up pastas butternut squash alfredo recipe

Joyful Healthy Eats

9/30

Creamy Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta

Use butternut squash puree and 2 percent milk instead of cream and butter for a healthier (and more flavorful) take on the classic.

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lightened up pastas whole grain pesto recipe

Kajakiki/Getty Images

10/30

Whole-Grain Pasta with Pesto, Mozzarella, Pine Nuts and Tomato

The perfect not-sad-desk-lunch option.

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lightened up pastas baked zucchini ziti recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

11/30

Baked Zucchini 'Ziti' Spirals with Mozzarella

Even the kids will love this one.

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lightened up pastas vegan zucchini spaghetti puttanesca recipe

Inspiralized

12/30

Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti Puttanesca

This recipe from Coterie member Ali Maffucci is little bit spicy, a little bit briny and a lot delicious.

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lightened up pastas vegan butternut squash carbonara recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

13/30

Butternut Squash Carbonara

Add in some mashed butternut squash and cut down on the butter and your favorite decadent dish is officially healthy.

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lightened up pastas cauliflower alfredo recipe

What’s Gaby Cooking

14/30

Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta

Our favorite veggie saves the day. It’s rich and creamy, without all the calories.

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lightened up pastas peanut ginger noodles recipe

The Recipe Critic

15/30

Peanut Ginger Noodles

It tastes just like takeout but will set you back only 400 calories.

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lightened up pastas zoodles lentil bolognese recipe

Minimalist Baker

16/30

Zucchini Pasta with Lentil Bolognese

Bonus: It’s ready in just 30 minutes.

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lightened up pastas mushroom kale lasagna rolls

Skinny Taste

17/30

Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls

It’s basically a green juice wrapped in pasta.

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lightened up pastas healthy bolognese recipe

Apple of My Eye

18/30

Healthy Weeknight Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe uses less beef and bulks up the sauce with more veggies to keep it light and healthy.

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lightened up pastas spinach artichoke spaghetti squash recipe

Taste and Tell

19/30

Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash

Your favorite dip, but a billion times better for you.

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lightened up pastas skinny alfredo ziti with broccoli recipe

Ambitious Kitchen

20/30

30-Minute Skinny Alfredo Ziti with Broccoli

Bonus: It’s totally dairy-free.

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lightened up pastas healthy three cheese penne bake recipe

The Girl Who Ate Everything

21/30

Healthy Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

So warm and satisfying.

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lightened up pastas zucchini noodles turkey meatballs recipe

Damn Delicious

22/30

Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Meatballs

Prep them on Sunday and eat them all week.

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lightened up pastas skinny white clam linguine recipe

Pop Culture

23/30

Skinny Linguine with White Clam Sauce

We’re dreaming of summer dinners by the beach.

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lightened up pastas healthy mushroom alfredo bake recipe

Pinch of Yum

24/30

Healthy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Bake

Cauliflower strikes again.

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lightened up pastas sweet potato zoodles almond sauce recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

25/30

Sweet Potato Noodles with Almond Sauce

Tastes sinful. (Spoiler: It isn’t.)

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lightened up pastas chicken bacon broccoli alfredo recipe

Chelsea’s Messy Apron

26/30

Lightened-Up Chicken Bacon and Broccoli Alfredo

The broccoli totally cancels out the bacon, right?

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lightened up pastas turkey bolognese lasagna recipe

Foodie Crush

27/30

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

This deconstructed recipe replaces beef with turkey and cuts way down on the cheese, without sacrificing flavor.

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lightened up pastas skinny baked shrimp scampi recipe

Pineapple and Coconut

28/30

Skinny Baked Shrimp Scampi

Don’t worry—there’s still a little butter, and plenty of garlic.

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lightened up pastas healthy baked chicken parmesan recipe

Le Crème De La Crumb

29/30

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan Pasta

You’d never know it wasn’t fried…

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lightened up pastas roasted red pepper recipe

The Minimalist Baker

30/30

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

It’s vegan and gluten-free. Win-win.

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30 Lightened-Up Versions of Your Favorite Pasta Recipes

Vegan Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Marinara Sauce

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

Creamy Greek Yogurt Macaroni and Cheese

Carrot Pasta

Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta

Skinny Fajita Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Broccolini Pasta

Golden Sundried Tomato Red Lentil Pasta

Creamy Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta

Whole-Grain Pasta with Pesto, Mozzarella, Pine Nuts and Tomato

Baked Zucchini 'Ziti' Spirals with Mozzarella

Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti Puttanesca

Butternut Squash Carbonara

Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta

Peanut Ginger Noodles

Zucchini Pasta with Lentil Bolognese

Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls

Healthy Weeknight Spaghetti Bolognese

Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash

30-Minute Skinny Alfredo Ziti with Broccoli

Healthy Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Meatballs

Skinny Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Healthy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Bake

Sweet Potato Noodles with Almond Sauce

Lightened-Up Chicken Bacon and Broccoli Alfredo

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

Skinny Baked Shrimp Scampi

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

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