With a rainbow of fresh produce, a seemingly endless array of available pasta shapes, and infinite sauce possibilities, it makes sense that there are so many amazing meat-free pasta dishes. Here, we’ve gathered some of our very favorite combinations to take you through all the seasons, from Mafaldine with Pea Shoot-Meyer Lemon Pesto in the spring to Creamy Corn Miso Pasta in the summer and Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage in the colder months. Read on for these and more delicious vegetarian pasta recipes to make all year.
Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This classic Italian vegetarian dish comes together in just 30 minutes (in one pot, to boot) with pantry staples like canned chickpeas, ditalini pasta, tomato paste, and vegetable broth.
Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Chef Eric Lees makes fresh gnocchi with russet potatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and egg yolks. Paired with a basil-studded tomato sauce, the delicious simplicity of each ingredient speaks for itself. Use canned San Marzano plum tomatoes for the best flavor.
Mafaldine with Pea Shoot-Meyer Lemon Pesto
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Elegant, eye-catching, and utterly delicious, this ruffled pasta dish couldn’t be easier to prepare. The bright pesto — featuring fresh pea shoots and herbs, ricotta salata, sunflower seeds, and fragrant Meyer lemon — comes together instantly in the blender, while the garlicky breadcrumb topping takes just 10 minutes to cook on the stovetop.
Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes Melted in Garlic Butter
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Cherry tomatoes are a shortcut to fresh and delicious pasta any time of year. Mixed with a little garlicky butter and pasta water, their juices create a luscious sauce.
Spinach Lasagna
Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Layers of spinach-laced ricotta, Mornay sauce, noodles, and mozzarella bake up into a golden, decadent pasta masterpiece that’s guaranteed to please everyone at the table.
Summer Vegetable Pasta
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne / Bowls by Made In
The nooks and crannies of short pasta like orecchiette or penne capture bite-sized summer produce like peas, corn, and cherry tomatoes in this light dinner from pastry chef Emily Luchetti.
Baked Feta Pasta
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Pints of cherry tomatoes and a block of sheep’s milk feta cheese transform into the creamy sauce for this pasta dinner inspired by the viral TikTok dish; harissa adds a spicy kick.
Orzo Risotto with Swiss Chard and Fontina
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
For this pasta-based risotto, toast orzo in butter to bring out its nutty flavor, then cook it slowly, adding hot stock incrementally as you would for arborio rice, until creamy and al dente. Stir in sautéed Swiss chard along with Fontina and Parmesan cheeses to finish the dish.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Brown butter, sage, and butternut squash make one of sweater season’s most familiar combinations: warm, comforting, and a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Tart goat cheese balances the squash in the homemade ravioli’s filling, while chopped walnuts bring out the nuttiness of the brown butter sauce.
Penne all’Arrabbiata
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This Roman pasta lives up to its name — arrabbiata means “angry” — with a fiery kick from Calabrian chiles. Honey balances the heat, highlighting the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Quick enough for a weeknight (it’s ready in just 15 minutes), this recipe delivers bold flavor with minimal fuss.
Espagueti Verde (Green Spaghetti)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
If salsa verde is your jam, you’ll love this creamy green spaghetti. Simply char poblano peppers and garlic in the broiler, then puree with scallions, jalapeño, cilantro, and Mexican crema for a silky, smoky sauce.
Creamy Tomato Rigatoni
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This simple tomato sauce is more than the sum of its parts: canned tomatoes, butter, cream, and onion. Cooked just so, it’s sweet and savory, rich and acidic — creating a lush sauce that’s perfect for big, ridged noodles like rigatoni.
One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
Leeks, mushrooms, and fresh herbs combine with pantry staples to make a weeknight-friendly meal that’s ready in 30 minutes. Luscious and savory, the rich sauce in this crowd favorite from Robin Bashinsky is made with cream, lemon, and white wine.
Kale-Artichoke Stuffed Shells
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
To streamline this jumbo pasta shell dinner, F&W’s Ann Taylor Pittman leans on pantry staples: jarred artichoke hearts and Calabrian chiles, canned cannellini beans, and ready-made marinara. It’s also make-ahead friendly.
Creamy Corn Miso Pasta
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Montiel
Fresh corn forms the base of this velvety summer sauce. Once cut from the cob, it’s sautéed in butter with onion and garlic, then blended smooth and loosened with white miso and pasta water to coat campanelli. A splash of lemon juice brightens the flavors, while grated Parmesan cheese adds a savory, umami-rich finish.
Smoked Mozzarella Mezzelune with Braised Onion Sauce
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford
Pasta Social Club’s Meryl Feinstein stuffs her handmade mezzelune (“half moons”) with whole-milk ricotta, chopped fresh rosemary, and shreds of smoked mozzarella. The thick onion-tomato sauce, made fragrant with the addition of ground cloves, brings out the savoriness of the smoked cheese.
Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale
In this take on mac and cheese from chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls, tender sautéed baby kale melts into a buttermilk-laced béchamel then baked with cavatelli until the sharp cheddar topping is crisp and golden.
Pasta Primavera
“This Pasta Primavera is buttery and rich but still feels light from the lemon zest and fresh herbs — it’s the perfect dish to make after a visit to your local farmers market,” says recipe developer Liz Mervosh. “The colorful play of spring vegetables makes it as pleasing to the eyes as it is to your palate.”
Three-Cheese Lasagna with Roasted Red Peppers and Mushrooms
Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners
Roast mushrooms and red peppers in garlicky olive oil to create irresistible layers of flavors in this meat-free lasagna. After it’s baked, a quick stint under the broiler ensures the cheese is browned and bubbly; a final sprinkle of chopped fresh basil makes the dish ready to serve.
Creamy Farfalle with Broccoli Crumble
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
2019 F&W Best New Chef Misti Norri roasts broccoli florets until charred alongside torn day-old bread, then finely chops the mixture and tosses it with lemon zest after it comes out of the oven. The result acts as both a thickener for the pasta’s creamy sauce and as a satisfying brassica-breadcrumb topping.
Creamy Camembert and Mushroom Pasta
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
This silky pasta dish owes its richness not to heavy cream, but rather to Camembert cheese. Cheese expert Laura Werlin recommends cutting the rind off the ooey-gooey ingredient while the round of cheese is cold. Use vegetable broth to keep things veggie-friendly.
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Toasted Hazelnuts
Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
F&W’s Justin Chapple reimagines classic mac and cheese for fall, blending pumpkin puree, mascarpone, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into a velvety sauce that coats tender orecchiette. Toasted hazelnuts add warmth and crunch, while sage, garlic, and chives lend aromatic depth.
Linguine with Frenched Green Beans and Parsley Pesto
Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson
In this classic recipe, thinly sliced green beans mingle with linguine to give each bite a refreshing crunch. 1988 F&W Best New Chef Johanne Killen employs starchy pasta water to thicken her fresh pesto into a sauce that clings to and flavors the strands of pasta.
Feta Gnocchi with Lemony Yogurt and Spring Peas
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes
Chef Cassie Piuma swaps out potato for fluffy feta cheese in her fabulous take on gnocchi, which also includes both fresh and dried herbs, fennel seeds, and Dijon mustard. She pan-fries it until golden and serves it with two types of peas over a bed of lemon-garlic strained yogurt.
Farro Mafaldine with Black Truffle Butter and Mushrooms
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Black truffles are a luxurious way to add exquisite earthiness to all kinds of dishes. This sophisticated, mushroom-filled recipe from Boston chef Karen Akunowicz calls for truffle paste (or fresh truffles if you’ve got ’em), which melts perfectly into the buttery sauce to blanket nutty farro pasta.
Pasta with Greens and Beans
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
This simple preparation combines wide pappardelle, peppery sautéed mustard greens, canned cannellini beans, and jarred Calabrian chiles for a bit of heat. It’s a great way to use up pantry items while getting in some hearty greens — and even better, it takes just over half an hour to make.
Creamy Ramp Pasta with Asparagus
Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
This spring pasta highlights the brief garlicky glory of ramp season, balancing a sharp nutty pesto out with rich cream and a generous spread of fresh ricotta on the serving plates.
Spaghettoni with Butter and Brewer’s Yeast
Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
Chef Ricardo Camanini’s umami-packed pasta dish has a surprising addition: brewer’s yeast. It’s worth adding to your pantry for sprinkling over easy dishes like this one, a simple combination of thick spaghetti and melted butter.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
Kelsey Jane Youngman makes this tagliatelle pasta with a meatless ragù when she wants comfort food on a weeknight. Charring the mirepoix under the broiler adds smoky flavor that’s enhanced by cremini mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and dry red wine. The pasta and sauce are on the table in an hour.
Spaghetti alla Nerano (Creamy Spaghetti with Zucchini)
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
A quick stint under the broiler gives zucchini coins a golden brown exterior for this classic summer pasta dish from Nerano, a small village about an hour south of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. A portion of the zucchini is cooked down with cheese and butter for a creamy sauce, and the rest becomes a crispy garnish.
Pasta alla Norma
“Norma is the kiss of Sicilian summer,” says food writer and editor Jennifer V. Cole of this dish featuring fresh tomato sauce, fried eggplant, sweet onions, and aromatic basil. “It’s a composition that sings of seasonality, when tomatoes and eggplant are at their peak and balconies are overrun with potted basil.”
Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower
Christina Holmes
In this cozy bake from Ina Garten, cauliflower florets are roasted until caramelized, then folded into a mix of pasta shells and plenty of cheese. A breadcrumb topping crisps in the oven, giving every bite a satisfying crunch.
