20 Insanely Delicious Spaghetti Recipes That You’ll Thank Me For

Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese & Ground Beef

This spaghetti casserole is even easier to make than pasta on the stove. That’s because you can prep it ahead of time, assemble in the casserole dish, and then bake later on. So ok, it’s the same amount of work.

Yet you can keep this cream cheese spaghetti dish ready to go in the fridge, and once baked, you’re eating a fresh meal instead of leftovers.

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Spaghetti Salad with Garlic Almond & Herb Crumbs

This delicious spaghetti mixed with fresh sage, spinach, and crushed almonds is a hit whether served hot or cold. Instead of making pasta sauce, all the mix-ins are sautéed in butter and olive oil so the flavors develop and meld together.

Serve this at a potluck, adding shaved Brussels sprouts to make the servings stretch further. It’s also great as an easy and adaptable dinner, and leftovers can be kept in a to-go container to take out the door as a cold lunch.

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Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs

The great thing about homemade meatballs is that they’ll keep well in the freezer, so you can toss them into a quick dinner like this skillet spaghetti anytime.

When you spot some ground meat on sale, like turkey or pork, then it’s time to make a batch of frozen meatballs.

Add breadcrumbs, fresh or dried herbs, and other seasonings of choice, and bake for about 15 minutes. Once cool, freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan before transferring the meatballs to an airtight container.

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Spaghetti Carbonara

This bowl of spaghetti is easy to make, loaded with protein, and super cheap. Each serving comes out to barely more than a dollar.

Yet with the creamy sauce from the eggs and Parmesan, plus a touch of bacon, this is good enough to serve on date night. And you’ll have enough dough left in your wallet to spring for some fresh bakery bread and a decent bottle of wine to go with.

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Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Sausage & Peppers

Don’t have time to make meatballs? Enjoy spaghetti with sausage and peppers instead. You’ll need about ten minutes to brown the Italian sausage links in the pan, and then use any fat renderings to cook the veggies.

For a leaner sausage, you may need to add a touch of olive oil to the pan. Then you can make a quick tomato sauce in the skillet, add the sausage back in, and spoon it over a plate of spaghetti.

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Crockpot Spaghetti with Chicken & Broccoli

When you make shredded chicken, marinara, and broccoli in a slow cooker, all you have to do come dinnertime is prepare the plain spaghetti in a pot of boiling water.

Then stir everything together, or let everyone fix their own plates. Tailor the spaghetti to your own tastes with a pinch of crushed red pepper and Parmesan cheese.

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Cold Sesame Noodles

Spaghetti can be used for more than Italian food. The trick to making an awesome Asian noodle salad is the sauce.

It’s made from a mix of sesame paste (or tahini) and peanut butter, along with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili paste. You can fill out the noodle salad with any crisp veggies like cucumber, carrots, and seasonal ingredients like snap peas.

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Spaghetti with Wilted Greens & Walnut-Parsley Pesto

Spaghetti gets a bad rap as plain and full of carbs, but it’s just a noodle base for any flavors or nutrients that you want to fill up on.

Start with whole-wheat pasta, and you’re getting complex carbs to fuel your system without impacting blood sugar levels. Then add loads of fresh greens like Swiss chard, fresh parsley, and baby spinach for nutrients.

With all that in the mix, a little garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper are the only necessary seasonings. And for added protein and the rich, creamy yolk, top your bowl of healthy spaghetti with a fried egg.

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Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Rather than make a giant stockpot of spaghetti and marinara for a big gathering, put it all in the oven with this casserole recipe. That way by the time guests arrive, you’ll be done with all the work in the kitchen.

You can even prep a big green salad ahead of time as a side. With smart meal planning, there will be plenty of home-cooked food to feed a crowd, and yet your kitchen can be clean before people even show up to eat.

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Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas & Kale

Plain spaghetti is hardly dinner, but when you mix in wholesome ingredients like chickpeas, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes, you’ll be able to enjoy the flavors of Italian food without making marinara.

This mix of flavors will work with either spaghetti squash or pasta. And if you miss the sauce, a spoonful of pesto or a touch of alfredo would be delicious on top.

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Frittata with Chard & Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Spaghetti doesn’t have to be served in a bowl. This one takes frittata form, and with spaghetti used as a filing instead of the main ingredient, you can satisfy your pasta cravings without overeating.

The recipe is mostly eggs, Swiss chard, and Parmesan. So you’ll fill up on protein and fiber, as well as get a significant amount of calcium from the cheese.

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Lentil Bolognese with Buckwheat Noodles

Vegan pasta sauce is great when you want to cut down on the fat but still want it to be filling. And even if you’re a die-hard carnivore, this recipe is one to remember for when your freezer isn’t stocked with meat.

You can keep almost everything you need in the pantry, including tomato sauce and red wine. Then use the staple produce you probably have on hand, like onions and carrots, or even shallots with a handful of shredded zucchini.

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Creamy Ham, Leek & Mushroom Spaghetti

It doesn’t take many ingredients to make this restaurant-quality spaghetti dinner. The rich sauce is made with cream cheese, leeks, and mushrooms. It comes together easily and is much faster than homemade marinara.

The dish is finished with Parmesan, fresh basil, and thinly sliced ham – although you could also use bacon. Either way, you’ll wind up with a major upgrade to basic spaghetti that takes only a half hour to cook.

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Spaghetti & Meatball Cups

Turn spaghetti and meatballs into an inventive appetizer with this recipe, which uses a muffin pan to prep a nest of noodles.

When the spaghetti is baked in individual portions, the noodles stay together in a pile, and there’s space in the middle for a meatball or roasted veggies. Top with marinara sauce, and serve as part of a larger meal or as a snack to feed a bunch of hungry kids.

If you want to freeze leftovers, keep the noodle nests and meatballs separate until serving. Microwave the frozen spaghetti for a few seconds under a damp paper towel, or reheat in the oven in a muffin pan.

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Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil & Salmon

You don’t even need to worry about sauce to make an incredible spaghetti dinner. Especially when it’s served with salmon, spaghetti can be great with just lemon, basil, and capers.

This is the ideal weeknight dinner when you’re low on energy but want something that feels like you’re treating yourself. Just remember, as with most recipes, it’ll be faster to make the second or third time through.

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Deep Dish Spaghetti Pie

This savory sausage pie doesn’t use pastry crust. Instead, the pie dish is filled with spaghetti and then smothered in marinara, crumbled sausage, and mozzarella cheese.

And even though this looks like tons of pasta, there’s less in a slice than you’d put into a bowl. That gives you a better protein-to-carb ratio than most spaghetti with sausage.

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Spaghetti Squash Chicken Parmesan

Comfort food meets low-calorie alternatives in this version of chicken parm with spaghetti. First, slice a spaghetti squash in half, drizzle with olive oil, and put it in the oven. While that roasts, coat chicken breasts in bread crumbs, and bake on a separate sheet pan.

Put the two together, finishing with a large spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Finally, they bake until the mozzarella on top melts and begins to brown.

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Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Forget the jarred pasta sauce, and make it from fresh tomatoes. It might seem lot a lot of work, but a simple spaghetti sauce doesn’t need more than a handful of common ingredients. And since it’s a rustic sauce, you don’t need to perfectly dice the onion or tomatoes.

Roughly chop all the ingredients. Then cook in a stockpot, starting with the onions and then the garlic, and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the sauce thickens.

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15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

For pesto pasta that’s creamy like alfredo, just add ripe avocado. Even without a meat sauce, this is an extremely filling plate of vegetarian pasta thanks to the healthy fats in the avocado and pecans.

It makes a great lunch for extra-busy days when you’re afraid you’ll burn through the meal too fast and be starving at your desk. Or, turn avocado spaghetti into a protein-rich dinner by serving with a green salad topped with shredded chicken or turkey.

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Basil Zucchini Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

This deconstructed spaghetti dish has a gourmet presentation, but it’s nutritious and low-carb with zucchini noodles. And you don’t have to worry about making a marinara sauce. Instead, simply slice up a ripe tomato.

To turn them into a delicious pasta topping, lay the tomato slices on a baking sheet, season, and sprinkle with cheese. Then broil for a few minutes until the mozzarella is melted and browned.

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