Healthy Pasta Recipes

Eating well doesn't have to mean giving up your favorite noodles. Try some of our best healthy pasta recipes, from whole-grain spaghetti to veggie-packed penne.

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Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Evan Sung for The New York Times

Photo By: Tara Donne

Zucchini Ribbon Pasta

Bulk up whole-wheat fettucine by working zucchini ribbons (mandoline-sliced or thinly cut strips) into your pasta bowl. Sprigs of basil and parsley and large red pepper flakes add ample flavor and round out this dish's rainbow spectrum.

Get the Recipe: Zucchini Ribbon Pasta

Pasta with Escarole, White Beans and Chicken Sausage

Low-fat Italian-style sausage and fresh sage amp up an everyday bowl of bowtie pasta, and cannellini beans add a protein power boost with the ease of opening a can.

Get the Recipe: Pasta with Escarole, White Beans and Chicken Sausage

Beans and Greens Spaghetti

Though you'd never know it from this recipe's depth of flavor, it's completely vegetarian and takes less than half an hour to whip up. A classic Italian combo of beans and hearty greens, this spaghetti is light on both calories and grocery costs.

Get the Recipe: Beans and Greens Spaghetti

Macaroni With Four Cheeses

Ellie Krieger includes pureed winter squash in her mac 'n' cheese recipe to lighten up the indulgent dish, add nutrients and fiber and lend it bright orange photo-ready color.

Get the Recipe: Macaroni and 4 Cheeses

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese

Vitamin-packed Swiss chard and salty pecorino cheeses pair perfectly with nutty whole-wheat spaghetti in this simple dish inspired by classic Italian flavors.

Get the Recipe: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese

Penne with Spinach Sauce

This light and fresh pasta dish is full of nutrients thanks to a sauce made out of our favorite super veggie, spinach. Naturally low-fat goat cheese lends a creamy texture and pleasantly tangy flavor.

Get the Recipe: Penne with Spinach Sauce

Fettuccine with creamy red pepper feta sauce

Roasted red peppers and naturally light feta cheese are blended to form this pasta's indulgent yet lower-calorie creamy sauce.

Get the Recipe: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

Pasta Puttanesca

Ellie melts powerful anchovy paste into her puttanesca sauce to deepen the flavor and adds crushed red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.

Get the Recipe: Pasta Puttanesca

Skillet Mac-and-Cheese

Serving mac 'n' cheese in the skillet it's baked in amps up that comforting homey factor. This dish's secret ingredient is finely chopped cauliflower that blends in subtly with the pasta. Three cheeses and a breadcrumb topping make it a still-indulgent favorite.

Get the Recipe: Skillet Mac and Cheese

Pasta With Winter Squash and Tomatoes

Sweet, hearty butternut squash adds substance and nutrients to this pasta dish. Once the squash has been cooked, it becomes so soft that it acts as the pasta's (lean) sauce.

Get the Recipe: Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes

Better Beef Lasanga

Whole-grain pasta adds fiber to this Italian classic, which gets meaty flavor and texture from lean ground beef and naturally low-calorie portobello mushrooms.

Get the Recipe: Better Beef Lasagna

Penne with Tomatoes, Garlic and White Beans

Ellie enhances tomatoes' natural sweetness by roasting them in the oven with just a touch of olive oil. All her pasta dish then needs is some aromatic roasted garlic cloves.

Get the Recipe: Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

Spaghetti With Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

This light pasta needs no sauce. Asparagus, salty strips of prosciutto and smoky mozzarella add ample flavor.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

Pasta Salad With Tuna

David Rocco's mayo-free twist on tuna salad layers seared, sushi-grade tuna, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes atop pasta.

Get the Recipe: Insalata di Pasta con Tonno: Pasta Salad with Tuna

Cheeseburger Mac-Attack

This satisfying recipe combines two classic favorites: cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese. The secrets to keeping it light? Using frozen cauliflower in light cheese sauce and swapping lean ground turkey for beef.

Get the Recipe: Cheeseburger Mac Attack

Cauliflower Mac 'n' Cheese*

Pureed cauliflower mimics the silky smooth quality of cheese sauce in this healthy mac, which further lightens the typically heavy sauce with reduced-fat cream cheese and a small portion of grated Parmesan.

Get the Recipe: Cauliflower Mac 'n' Cheese