10 Easy Pasta Recipes With 10 Ingredients or Less (Easy, Dutch)

We’re always on the hunt for quick, delicious recipes that make dinner easy. And at this time of year, pasta is almost always the answer. With the kids out of school, warmer days ahead, and the usual weekday scramble to put something together, easy pasta recipes are a reliable option: easy to adapt, endlessly flexible, and always satisfying. So we dug in and put together a collection of really delicious pasta recipes to shake up the usual dinner routine.

As much as I’ll happily admit to a bowl of mac and cheese any day of the week, sometimes you want something that feels a little more inspired. The good news: there are so many easy pasta recipes that deliver great flavor without a complicated ingredient list or long preparation time. And when the products of spring and summer begin to appear, pasta becomes a great canvas. Think bright herbs, sweet peas, zucchini, tomatoes, and all the colorful vegetables that make this season’s cooking feel fresh.

10 Pasta recipes with 10 ingredients or less

Below, we’ve rounded up our easiest pasta recipes, each made with less than 10 ingredients. On nights when dinner needs to be simple but feel special, these pastas have you covered.

Exploding Tomato Pasta

This pasta is proof that a few clever ingredients can turn into something that feels amazingly special. A mixture of cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste creates a light, jammy, and deeply flavorful sauce—without asking much of you in return.

Easy Zucchini Pasta

This is the kind of pasta we crave when the farmer’s market is overflowing and dinner needs to stay simple. With caramelized zucchini, bright lemon, lots of parmesan, and fresh herbs, it’s equal parts comforting and fresh.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

A good lemon pasta always earns a place in our rotation. This one feels especially worth repeating. It’s creamy, colorful, and full of the kind of bold, layered flavors that keep dinner from feeling one-note.

Lemony Spring Pasta Salad with Olives, Artichokes, and Bacon

This is a pasta salad that we can bring to any spring gathering (hopefully we can take leftovers home). It’s full of bright, Mediterranean-inspired flavors: crispy olives, artichokes, parmesan, and a lime green dressing that makes everything feel fresh.

Cheesy Pesto Gnocchi Bake

When a recipe only requires a few ingredients and one pan, we quickly become interested. This one brings all the creamy, comfort of a baked pasta, with pesto and spinach that keeps it light enough to feel balanced.

Miso Tomato Pasta

This pasta proves that a little effort can still lead to big gains. The miso adds a salty umami that makes the tomato sauce feel unexpectedly rich and memorable.

Green Sauce pasta

For anyone who wants to eat more vegetables without committing to another salad, this pasta is the answer. The blended spinach sauce is strong and silky, with just enough lemon and parmesan to make it feel balanced and flavorful.

One Pot Garlicky Mushroom Pasta with Sausage & Arugula

Rather than being too rich, this recipe keeps things flavorful and balanced. A small amount of Italian sausage adds a lot of flavor, while the mushrooms and veggies make it feel hearty, bright, and weeknight-friendly all at once.

Spaghetti With Garlicky Shrimp, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

“Garlicky shrimp” is my official favorite word pairing. I often find that when pasta recipes include shrimp, the protein-packed little shellfish lacks serious flavor. Here, four cloves of garlic do the trick and send a big punch to this whole dish.

Pesto Pasta Primavera

This is the ultimate spring pasta dish. If you look at the color alone, you can immediately tell that the taste is fresh and bright. Camille makes this recipe at least once a week, and everyone on Team CS is right there with her in keeping this on our rotation.