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25 Winter Pasta Recipes to Warm Up with All Season Long

There’s no denying our love of pasta. And now that bathing suit season is in the rearview, we’re ready to hibernate with a bowlful of carbs and dig in on the daily. If you feel the same, join us in celebrating the cold weather with this roundup of crave-worthy winter pasta recipes, which features a shrimp and pasta stew for seafood lovers, a creamy chicken alfredo for Olive Garden devotees, a curry noodle dish to spice up your weeknight rotation and many more crowd-pleasing meals. Bon appétit (and see you next summer).

73 Hearty Winter Dinner Ideas That Take 1 Hour or Less


winter pasta recipes ultimate pasta pie
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

1. The Ultimate Pasta Pie

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, high protein, special occasion-worthy

A springform pan is the secret to pulling off this savory sausage and pasta pie. The process is breezy, and the finished product is sure to impress.

winter-pasta-recipes: pasta, shrimp, and vegetables in a bowl.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

2. Shrimp and Pasta Stew

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special-occasion worthy, <500 calories

Here, tender shrimp, melty pearl onions and pasta mingle in a bold, paprika-spiked tomato broth. The end result is a hearty seafood stew you’ll want to warm up with all winter long.

rigatoni noodles with vodka sauce in a bowl.
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen

3. Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, special-occasion worthy

Who knew creamy, restaurant quality vodka sauce could be accomplished so quickly and easily at home with just a few pantry staples? We suggest not skipping the vodka, though—it’s a pretty essential flavor booster.

winter-pasta-recipes: mac and cheese in a bowl.
Photo: Mivhsrl Marquand/Styling: Caroline Lange

4. 5-Ingredient Smoked Gouda-Thyme Mac and Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, one pot, kid-friendly

Sometimes you just need to tuck into a big, comforting bowl of mac and cheese; when the mood strikes, we suggest using smoked gouda and generous amounts of fresh thyme for a more sophisticated finished dish that’s oh-so decadent.

winter pasta recipes cacio e pepe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

5. Cacio e Pepe

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, one pot

Once you have mastered the technique required to achieve a creamy sauce, this beloved Italian pasta is super easy to make and reliably satisfying. Just be sure to incorporate the cheese gradually to prevent clumping and definitely don’t be shy with the black pepper.

winter-pasta-recipes: noodles in a bowl with sauce and cooked vegetables.
Stir-Fry

6. 10-Minute Pad See Ew

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <15 minutes, one pan, beginner-friendly

Everyone’s favorite Thai pasta dish of stir-fried rice noodles in an umami-forward sauce is so easy to make at home you’ll never opt for takeout again.

winter pasta recipes soba noodles with peanut sauce
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

This Asian-inspired recipe for Japanese soba noodles dressed with a mildly spicy peanut sauce yields a bowlful of comfort that won’t weigh you down. One piece of advice: don’t skimp on the cilantro and scallion garnish—it really ties the whole thing together.

winter-pasta-recipes: pasta in a baking dish with sauce and topped with cheese.
Katherine Gillen

8. 3-Cheese Pumpkin Pasta Casserole with Spinach

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special-occasion worthy

Gruyere, ricotta, pumpkin puree and heavy cream come together to make a baked pasta casserole that tastes like a savory, carb-loaded PSL and freezes like a dream.

winter pasta recipes one pan baked ziti
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

9. Easy One-Pan Baked Ziti

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, one-pan, high protein

Baked ziti gets an extra indulgent boost from the flavor enhancing power of pancetta in this upgrade on the Italian-American classic.

winter-pasta-recipes: thick pasta noodles served with sauce on a plate.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

10. Pasta alla Norma with Eggplant, Basil & Pecorino

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: special-occasion worthy, high protein, vegetarian

Eggplant lovers will delight in this Sicilian dish, which features a kicky red pepper-spiked tomato sauce, piquant pecorino cheese, hearty rigatoni and (you guessed it) plenty of the aforementioned nightshade.

winter-pasta-recipes: pasta noodles topped with a beef sauce in a bowl.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

11. Easy 30-Minute Beef Stroganoff

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, high protein, one pan

Spaghetti and meatballs is a family favorite that tastes so much better when it only takes a jar of store bought marinara, a single pan and 30 minutes of your time to pull it off.

winter-pasta-recipes: spaghetti and meatballs on a plate.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

12. One-Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, high protein, one pan

Spaghetti and meatballs is a family favorite that tastes so much better when it only takes a jar of store bought marinara, a single pan and 30 minutes of your time to pull it off.

winter-pasta-recipes: three bowls of pasta with sauce.
Quentin Bacon/Cook Like a Pro

13. Ina Garten’s Baked Pasta with Tomatoes and Eggplant

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, beginner-friendly

Repurpose last night’s tomato and eggplant soup and put the variety of half-used pasta boxes in your pantry to good use with this swoon-worthy and blessedly easy to make baked pasta dish, courtesy of Ina Garten.

winter pasta recipes caramelized mushroom pasta with crispy prosciutto
Kristin Teig/Mediterranean Every Day

14. Caramelized Mushroom Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <500 calories, <10 ingredients

We can’t get enough of the meaty, umami goodness of mushrooms. In this winter pasta recipe, they lend their chewy, savory character to the dish that’s mixed with salty prosciutto and coated with a thyme-scented white wine sauce.

winter pasta recipes pasta puttanesca
David Loftus/The Tinned Fish Cookbook

15. Pasta Puttanesca

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

Fear not the anchovies: they disappear into the sauce and bring a bold umami flavor to a spicy, tomatoey pasta dish that you can whip up in a flash when late night hunger strikes.

winter-pasta-recipes: baked lasagna in a baking dish.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

16. Butternut Squash Lasagna

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, vegetarian, gluten free

Avoiding gluten? No problem—just swap the standard noodles for butternut squash and you’ve got a dreamy white lasagna that’s destined to become a cold weather favorite.

winter pasta recipes one pot chicken alfredo
Inspired Entertainment/The Domestic Geek’s Meals Made Easy

17. One-Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, high protein

Rich, creamy and loaded with cheese—there are few pasta dishes that provide the comfort of pasta alfredo. Make it at home in one pot with boneless, skinless chicken breasts for protein and plenty of parsley for a fresh and light finish. Then pat yourself on the back because you just outdid the Olive Garden with minimal effort involved.

winter pasta recipes curry noodles with broccoli rabe and purple cabbage
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

18. Curry Noodles with Broccoli Rabe and Purple Cabbage

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian

If all the Italian standbys are starting to feel a little snoozy, spice things up with this pasta and veggie stir-fry, featuring a sauce of coconut milk and red curry paste that’s got personality to spare.

winter-pasta-recipe: fettuccine alfredo in a bowl topped with black pepper.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

19. Lightened-Up Fettuccine with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

We’ve already shared a classic alfredo recipe, but sometimes you want creamy comfort that won’t weigh you down all night. Here, pureed cauliflower and a splash of regular milk stand in for heavy cream to create a sauce that’s just as luscious and decidedly healthier than the original.

winter pasta recipes smoky eggplant pasta
Abra Berens/Chronicle Books

20. Smoky Eggplant Pasta with Pounded Walnut Relish, Mozzarella and Basil

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour 2 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, vegetarian

This elegant and innovative winter pasta recipe calls for pureeing eggplant with walnuts and parsley to create a smoky, zesty pesto that will make your palate sing. We highly recommend it for anyone with a textural aversion to eggplant and, well, everyone else with taste buds.

winter-pasta-recipes: gnocchi pasta serve with potatoes and cabbage in a white sauce.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

21. Buckwheat Gnocchi with Cabbage, Potatoes and Fontina

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, vegetarian

Buckwheat takes the place of potato in this gnocchi recipe, but don’t worry—you still get your spuds on the side, along with gooey fontina cheese and the wintery comfort of cabbage.

winter pasta recipes mac and cheese with crispy parmesan phyllo crust
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

22. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan Phyllo Crust

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Yet another crave-worthy mac and cheese recipe—this one boasts a show-stopping phyllo topping that’s easy to accomplish, pretty enough for a special occasion and far more texturally pleasing than breadcrumbs.

winter-pasta-recipes: noodles served with vegetables topped with peanuts on a plate.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

23. 15-Minute Cheater’s Pad Thai

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein

Put the phone away because we’re eating in tonight, thanks to this exceedingly easy cheater’s pad Thai that tastes just as delicious as your favorite takeout and comes together in the blink of an eye. File under ‘weeknight favorites’.

winter pasta recipes gochujang noodles
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

24. Creamy Gojuchang Noodles

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <500 calories, high protein, vegetarian, gluten free

This gluten-free winner boasts zucchini noodles (i.e., zoodles) and kimchi in a creamy, spicy gojuchang sauce with the runny yolks from a few fried eggs to sweeten the deal.

winter pasta recipes skillet linguini with trumpet mushroom scallops
Healthyish

25. Easy Skillet Linguini with Trumpet Mushroom Scallops

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <500 calories, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian

Scallops are a special treat…when prepared by a restaurant chef with enough know-how to cook them right. For the rest of us, trumpet mushroom medallions are a fine stand-in with a similarly meaty texture and loads of umami flavor, to boot.



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