5 Weeknight Pasta Dishes You Can Make for Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less

Have you ever been so busy during the day that you completely forget about dinner?

This happens in our house more often than not.

I tend to get so wrapped up in my work that I find myself scrambling to figure out what we’re going to eat that night.

We always store meat in the freezer, I usually have to pre-plan our family meals just so it can have enough time to defrost in the refrigerator.

One of these scenarios ends up happening:

Nowadays, I always keep some dry pasta and a couple jars of sauce in my pantry for quick and easy weeknight meals.

Easy Weeknight Pasta Dinner Ideas

Pastas tend to be my go-to dinners because they’re easy, versatile and filling.

Here are a few favorites that I keep in my back pocket.

This pasta dish is always a hit with the family. It’s simple, but also includes some protein in the sauce.

It’s a good alternative when you just don’t have the time to make meatballs.

All you need is:

Sometimes I like to throw in some extras, like spinach and mushrooms, to make the dish a little more well-rounded.

When I want to switch things up, I usually heat up a bag of frozen raviolis — well, lately, it’s been the Costco tortellini.

I love them because they cook pretty quickly so it’s a great meal option for starving kids.

Just toss the cooked raviolis in your favorite marinara sauce. Voila, dinner is served.

Try pairing raviolis (or any stuffed pastas) with other sauces, like pesto, alfredo sauce, vodka sauce or even a simple brown butter sauce.

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It’s savory, creamy and just damn delicious.

It’s like a big, warm hug on a cold, dreary day. It’ll make you feel better, especially when you’re stressed or upset.

If I’m really in a bind, I have a box or two of Kraft in the pantry ready to go.

But nothing says “I love you” like a bowl of homemade mac ‘n cheese.

There’s something about that ooey gooey Cheddar cheese sauce drenched over a pot of pasta.

I love making it from scratch because it allows you to add as much cheese as you want.

There’s no such thing as too much cheese!

Bacon. Need I say more?

When crisped up in the pan, this salty, fatty, addictive meat adds a nice crunch to this dish.

What I especially love about this recipe is that you can easily make it in about 15-20 minutes.

AND there are only 5 ingredients (which you probably already have in your kitchen)!

This creamy garlic pasta is one of those recipes that I love to make when I’m home alone — which is pretty rare.

It’s a delicious dish that is so easy to cook at home but makes you feel like you’re eating out at an Italian restaurant.

I normally add chicken and broccoli to it, but it’s still amazing by itself.

What really makes the dish so yummy is the garlic.

I’m a garlic lover so I tend to go over-the-top and add 3-4 cloves for a 2-person portion. Just don’t ask for any kisses afterwards.

Almost everyone just wants satisfying weeknight dinners that are fast and easy to make, especially if you have a family to feed like I do.

All of these pasta dinners can be made in 30 minutes or less, giving you more time to relax and hang out with the family.

The dishes will take care of themselves, right?

Which of these pasta dishes do you have in your dinner rotation?