If you’re like, well, just about everyone, you have a favorite pasta dish (or two or three) that you just never gets old.
For me, it’s usually something creamy and savory like an Alfredo or stroganoff, but sometimes all it takes is a simple spaghetti dish to hit the spot.
Whatever your tastes, you’re going to find something in these pasta recipes that whets your appetite…and you’re going to love how “diet-friendly” they are, too. No having to eat an entire day’s worth of fat in one sitting!
Most of these dishes can be made with zero cooking skills as well, and while you can’t go wrong with staples like the bolognese, pesto, and vodka sauce, you can also get quite creative with combinations of meats, vegetables, and spices.
For example, check out the Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta with Spinach & Grilled Chicken for a surprisingly low-fat main course, the Pulled Pork Pasta Bake for a quick weeknight dinner, or the Grilled Corn & Avocado Pasta Salad if you want something vegetarian.
Bon appétit!
Brown Butter Sweet Potato Alfredo
Serves 6
When you brown butter in a saucepan, it adds extra dimensions of flavor, so a little goes a long way. Make it in advance – a quick, easy process – and you can use it for weeknight recipes that you throw together on the fly. You’ll get more buttery flavor without adding extra fat once it’s browned, making it a great trick for healthy pasta dishes like this spaghetti with sweet potato alfredo sauce.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, browned
1 medium sweet potato, cubed 2”
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 3/4 cups water, divided
1 cup (about 4 oz.) freshly grated Parmesan
1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Drunken Wild Mushroom Pasta
Serves 8
Don’t have a jar of pasta sauce on hand? It helps to know some simple pasta dishes that don’t rely on tomato sauce. This one uses tons of fresh mushrooms, plus other ingredients that are easy to keep on hand like garlic, onion, and sherry. It’s finished with goat cheese and hazelnuts, but would be just as good with gorgonzola and walnuts, or Parmesan and pistachios.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
26 oz. wild mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. sherry cooking wine
2 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 lb. dry linguine
6 oz. goat cheese
3/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
Salt to taste
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta with Spinach & Grilled Chicken
Serves 6
This is a great pasta recipe whether you have leftover grilled chicken, or need to cook some in a skillet while the pasta is boiling. Either way, it comes together fast once you have those two things ready, and you won’t need alfredo or tomato sauce like most chicken pasta dishes rely on. Simply toss al dente pasta with olive oil, lemon juice, ricotta, and Parmesan. Add the grilled chicken with some spinach, and serve.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
1 lb. grilled chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 lb. dry linguine (or spaghetti)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water
6 oz. fresh baby spinach, steamed until just wilted
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Pasta Skillet with Chicken Sausage, Cheese & Spinach
Serves 6
Have leftover noodles from a quick dinner the night before? You can turn it into a new dish with an easy pasta recipe like this. And if you use your favorite jar pasta sauce instead of making marinara from scratch, this healthy dinner can be prepped in just 10 minutes. Then you can chill for a half hour while your home-cooked meal finishes in the oven.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
Marinara:
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. pure honey (or sugar)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pasta:
8 oz. dry penne
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. chicken sausage, sliced
4 to 6 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz.) shredded mozzarella
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Pulled Pork Pasta Bake
Serves 4
When you think of meaty pasta, ground beef or grilled chicken are probably what come to mind. But with this recipe, you can use pulled pork as the base of easy pasta dishes that are loaded with protein. Start by making your favorite pulled pork, which you can do in advance and freeze for later. Then when you’re hungry, keep it simple with a minimal baked pasta dish. This one takes just three ingredients: pasta, pulled pork, and cheese.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
1/2 lb. pulled pork
4 ½ cups (8.8 oz.) dry macaroni
1 cup (about 4 oz.) shredded cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Want to know how to build muscle and lose fat eating delicious foods like these?
“Dieting” doesn’t have to suck. You CAN eat foods you like and have the body you want!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Serves 8
When you think of Italian pasta dishes, what comes to mind is probably tomato sauce. But there are other ways to enjoy classic Italian flavors. This easy Tuscan pasta casserole puts the Parmesan in the sauce for a creamy alfredo. Then there’s sun-dried tomatoes, which have a sweet, rich flavor without overpowering the simple pasta dish. And using rotisserie chicken means you can get the protein you need without doing extra cooking.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
1 lb. dry rotini pasta
1 jar (22 oz.) alfredo sauce
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 jar (4 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and minced
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup (about 4 oz.) shredded mozzarella
Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese
Serves 6
This Crock Pot pasta dish is almost as easy as microwave mac and cheese, but way more satisfying. Want to make it fancy? Use a blend of cheese like smoked gouda and cheddar, or fontina and Parmesan. And if you need even more calories, serve with a protein-packed breadstick. Try this recipe made with almond flour and unflavored whey isolate like Legion WHEY+.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
2 egg whites
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup (about 4 oz.) low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups dry whole-wheat penne
Grilled Corn & Avocado Pasta Salad
Serves 6
Even if you’ve had your fair share of pasta salad, you haven’t had one like this. It’s already one of the best ways to enjoy pasta in the summer. And this pasta salad captures even more seasonal flavors with grilled corn, fresh basil, and creamy avocado. This pasta side dish will have everyone at the barbecue begging for the recipe – or at least asking you to make it again.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
Pasta:
8 oz. gluten-free rotini
2 ears sweet corn, shucked
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 small red onion, minced
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Chili-Lime Dressing:
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 Tbsp. pure honey
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Caramelized Onion Black Bean Pasta
Serves 4
It’s not hard to make basic Italian pasta with tomato sauce into a vegan dinner. Yet this recipe gets creative with the concept, using black beans instead of classic marinara. For a low-carb version, this vegan pasta dish also goes great with spaghetti squash. That not only reduces calories and carbohydrates, but adds more protein and antioxidants.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
1 large onion (sweet or white)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
12 oz. dry pasta
One-Pot Baked Ziti
Serves 6
One of the best pasta dishes is baked ziti. Not only is it comforting and delicious, but it’s easy to make. For a low-fat version, substitute turkey sausage instead of pork, or just look for anything that’s marked extra-lean. Then use half-and-half in place of the heavy cream, and choose a part-skim mozzarella.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. Italian pork sausage, casings removed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
12 oz. dry ziti
3/4 cup (about 3 oz.) grated Parmesan
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup (about 4 oz.) shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Our Most Popular Evidence-Based Articles
IT’S-ON-US MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
Many companies offer a money-back guarantee because they know the majority of dissatisfied customers aren’t going to go through the hassle of actually returning the product to get their money back. We don’t play these games because we don’t have to, the quality of our products makes it unnecessary.
If you order any of our supplements for the first time and don’t like it, you can keep it. Just notify us and we’ll give you a full refund on the spot. No complicated forms and no return necessary.
To protect ourselves from fraud, the It’s-On-Us guarantee is only valid for first time purchases of a product, and redeemable up to three months after purchase. If you bought more than one bottle of a supplement on your first purchase and don’t like it, we would ask that you send the unopened bottles back to us for a refund because we can put them back into our sellable inventory.
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits so our shipping is 100% free!
Okay, we do dig on profits, but we also do offer 100% free shipping to everywhere in the world because it makes people you like happy, and that makes us happy.
So, if you live in the United States, your order ships free regardless of order size, and if you live anywhere else, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Fact Checked
Our scientific review board of nutritionists, dietitians, molecular biologists, doctors, and other accredited experts is responsible for reviewing every article, podcast, and video we produce to ensure they’re evidence based, accurate, trustworthy, and current.
Thanks to their connections, credentials, and academic experience, this team of MDs, PhDs, and other professionals has access to a wealth of research published in the largest and most prestigious journals in the world.
This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
Evidence Based
We follow a detailed, rigorous, multi-step process to create content that meets the highest standards of clarity, practicality, and scientific integrity.
First, our research associates provide our editorial team with accurate, up-to-date, proven scientific evidence.
Then, our editorial team uses this research to draft articles and outlines for podcasts and videos.
Finally, our scientific review board reviews the content to ensure all key information and claims are backed by high-quality scientific research and explained simply and precisely.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
Split your entire online purchase into 4 interest-free payments, over 6 weeks with no impact to your credit.
25%
today
25%
2 weeks
25%
4 weeks
25%
6 weeks
Shop and add items to your cart as normal!
Choose Sezzle at Checkout! You’ll be redirected to Sezzle to Sign Up or Log In
to complete your order.
Your order will be shipped out right away* and your payments will be split up
over 6 weeks.
*shipping times subject to merchant shipping policy
Shop directory. Reschedule payments. Plus more!
