18 High-Protein Pasta Dishes to Make Forever By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 16, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Get ready for a tasty yet satisfying main with these pasta recipes! Each dish has at least 15 grams of protein per serving. Making sure there is adequate protein in your diet can help you maintain healthy bones, promote muscle health and support healthy digestion. Plus, these pasta dishes have really impressed our readers, earning 4- and 5-star reviews. Try our Summer Squash Pasta with Sungold Tomatoes or Creamy Green Pea Pesto Pasta for a yummy, protein-packed meal! Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 18 Summer Squash Pasta with Sungold Tomatoes Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling This warm summer squash pasta is quick to pull together and won’t disappoint. The roasted Sungold tomatoes add sweetness and subtle acidity to the dish that pairs winningly with fresh mint and Parmesan. We love the vibrant glow of Sungold tomatoes, but red grape tomatoes will work just as well. View Recipe Save 02 of 18 Farfalle with Tuna, Lemon and Fennel This warm, flaked tuna and lemon pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes. View Recipe Save 03 of 18 Creamy Green Pea Pesto Pasta Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Mint and peas are a natural pairing in this creamy pasta dish. It works well as a vegetarian main dish or can be divided into smaller portions as a side dish. If you have pine nuts on hand, sprinkle them over the top for a little crunch. View Recipe Save 04 of 18 Creamy Zucchini & Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Bake Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf If you're swimming in zucchini, take some off your hands with this creamy zucchini and chicken pasta bake. The zucchini melts into the sauce, while Dijon mustard and lemon zest brighten the flavor. View Recipe Save 05 of 18 Burrata Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Spinach Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle This luscious weeknight pasta dish features burrata cheese—a soft cow's-milk cheese that looks similar to fresh mozzarella but features a creamy center that melts beautifully. You can substitute chopped fresh summer-ripe tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes. View Recipe Save 06 of 18 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach-and-artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare. View Recipe Save 07 of 18 One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco This chicken Parmesan pasta uses the one-pot pasta method to cook your noodles, chicken and sauce all in one skillet for a fast and easy dinner. View Recipe Save 08 of 18 Creamy Feta & Tomato Pasta Photographer: Greg DuPree, Prop stylist: Shell Royster, Food stylist: Emily Hall This creamy feta-and-tomato pasta puts a satisfying vegetarian dinner on the table using only 5 simple ingredients. Cherry tomatoes are a go-to when tomato season is not at its peak. Grape tomatoes provide a sweet and juicy alternative, ensuring a satisfying and flavorful meal. View Recipe Save 09 of 18 Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto We love using chickpea pasta in this quick and easy dinner recipe, but other bean pastas or whole-wheat noodles are just as good with this fresh and zesty pesto sauce. View Recipe Save 10 of 18 Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce Brie Passano The creamy mushroom linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it's quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining. View Recipe Save 11 of 18 Shrimp Pasta Salad Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell This fresh and bright cold shrimp pasta salad features classic shrimp scampi flavors. Lemon and Dijon mustard brighten the dressing, and asparagus adds a nice crunch. Farfalle pasta works well with this dish, but any medium pasta shape will work. View Recipe Save 12 of 18 Slow-Cooker Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Bake Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell This simple vegetarian pasta bake is rich in protein and comes together effortlessly in the slow cooker, for a convenient one-pot meal. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto and plenty of veggies delivers a mix of sweet and savory flavors with every bite. Feel free to replace the sun-dried tomato pesto with basil pesto, offering a fresh twist on the dish. View Recipe Save 13 of 18 Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan Photographer: Jen Causey This one-pan chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. View Recipe Save 14 of 18 Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Add extra vegetables to your day with this easy one-skillet pasta recipe. Finely chop mushrooms to resemble the texture of ground beef and stir them into a classic meat sauce for a healthy twist on a dinnertime favorite. View Recipe Save 15 of 18 Pantry Peanut Noodles Jacob Fox Choose your own adventure with these noodles! They're delicious with peanut butter and tahini alike. Plus, you can use whatever frozen vegetables you have on hand and finish the dish off with any herbs still thriving in your garden or hanging out in your crisper. View Recipe Save 16 of 18 Green Goddess Ricotta Pasta Photographer: Sara Baurley, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle We take the flavors of green goddess dressing—lemon, anchovy and herbs—and use them as the base for a colorful, bright pasta sauce. Adding ricotta to the sauce creates a luscious, velvety texture, while the acidity from the lemon juice balances out the creaminess. View Recipe Save 17 of 18 Creamy One-Pot Orecchiette with Sausage & Peas Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst This easy one-pot pasta recipe earns the title "creamy" thanks to the addition of sour cream and Parmesan, which combine to create a savory cheese sauce that clings to the orecchiette, peas and sausage. View Recipe Save 18 of 18 Ground Beef & Snap Pea Rice-Noodle Stir-Fry We've bulked up the serving size of this pad thai-inspired stir-fry by adding in lots of veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving. View Recipe Save Medically reviewed by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Explore more: Healthy Recipes Main Dish Pasta Main Dish Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit