17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (2024)

You may hear the word "pasta" and automatically think of a heavy, indulgent meal. But, when you remove the cream-laden sauces and rich meats, pasta can actually be a perfect light lunch or dinner —especially if it incorporates lots of healthy produce. Looking for healthy pasta recipes that are packed with vegetables? You've come to the right place. The best part is that all of these pasta with vegetables recipes come together quickly, so you can get a nutritious dinner on the table faster, even on your most jam-packed days.

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Orecchiette with Ricotta and Chard Pan Sauce

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (1)

Because orecchiette (which means "little ears") is shaped like tiny scoops, it's great for soaking up the delectable sauce—made with just a little butter to add richness—in this healthy pasta with vegetables dish. Cooking Swiss chard in olive oil before adding it to the pasta helps release some of its juices, making this simple recipe extra flavorful.

20-Minute Pasta Recipes

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One-Pot Ham and Greens Pasta

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (2)

If you're pressed for time and need dinner on the table fast, be sure to keep this recipe handy. This one-pot wonder is a total lifesaver when things start to get hectic—it's ready in just 20 minutes, and cleanup is a breeze. It's hard to beat how tasty ham, kale, and pasta can be when served together in a garlicky butter sauce.

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Noodles and "Zoodles" with Saffron and Cream

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (3)

If you've never made "zoodles" (aka, zucchini noodles), this is a great dish to give them a try. They're mixed in with regular spaghetti so you won't miss out on the pasta in this recipe. Plus, once you add savory, crisped-up pancetta to your bowl, you may never even notice you're eating veggies.

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Chickpea Alfredo with Spring Veggies

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (4)

Whether you're hosting vegan friends for dinner or are exploring a vegan diet yourself, this chickpea Alfredo sauce is sure to be a winner. You start by soaking cashews, which act as the "cream" when blended with chickpea flour and water. Trust us: Once you pour the sauce over fettuccine, fresh asparagus, spinach, and peas, you'll never be able to tell that this recipe is dairy-free.

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Pesto Pasta with Charred Radicchio

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (5)

This restaurant-quality dish is one you'll want to add to your regular rotation of dishes when you're craving pasta with vegetables. Rigatoni or your favorite other tube-shaped pasta makes the perfect vessel for herby herb pesto (make your own, or buy it—we won't tell). Paired with spicy radicchio, it's a meal you'll feel good about serving to guests.

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Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (6)

Give plain pasta a smoky kick by stirring in a variety of veggies fresh off the grill. Red peppers, zucchini, asparagus, and red onion make this unique pasta salad healthy and tasty. Since the veggies are the real star of the show here, it makes sense to let them shine on their own, so the only sauce this healthy pasta with veggies needs is a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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Spaghetti with Seared Asparagus

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (7)

You might be used to seeing green asparagus on your plate, but white asparagus—commonly eaten in Europe—is equally as tasty and healthy. Shake up your plate by swapping this green veggie for its white counterpart and searing it in a skillet. Serve over spaghetti and finish with breadcrumbs and hazelnuts for crunch—you'll want to turn to this healthy dinner over and over again.

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Macaroni Alfredo with Pumpkin and Kale

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (8)

When pumpkin goes savory instead of sweet, the result is utterly delicious and makes for great comfort food on chilly nights. Pumpkin adds creaminess to this easy pasta dish, along with a healthy boost of vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Stir in plenty of fresh kale at the end, which will make your macaroni taste even more bright and fresh.

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Italian-Style Turkey and Penne Toss

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (9)

Plenty of spices, fresh spinach, and lean ground turkey lend this recipe a hearty kick of flavor. You'll use the same pot to cook both your meat sauce and your multigrain penne pasta, making cleanup a breeze. Be sure to add the spinach at the very end so it doesn't get too mushy.

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Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Pasta

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (10)

Think roasting veggies is too time-consuming for a busy night? Think again. To make a juicy, delicious sauce for this pasta, you only need to roast cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts for less than 12 minutes. Then have your fork ready—after roasting, just pour the veggie mixture over cooked pasta and dig in.

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Garden Veggie Linguine with Cilantro Pesto

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (11)

Why limit yourself to basil pesto when there are so many other herbs out there that will shine in the same manner? Here, cilantro adds a complex, citrusy flavor to this pesto alternative, which covers linguine noodles and loads of fresh zucchini and baby carrots in this healthy pasta and veggies recipe.

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Buffalo "Chicken" Pasta

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (12)

This recipe uses mock "chicken" strips or fillets (instead of real meat) to bring the protein to 11 grams per serving while still remaining vegetarian. Jarred light Alfredo sauce—bolstered by chopped bell pepper and onion—creates a flavorful sauce, while accouterments like blue cheese, hot sauce, and celery give all the buffalo wing flavor you could want.

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Chicken and Vegetable Spaghetti

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (13)

It's time to branch out from basic spaghetti! This fresh spaghetti gets a new look (and plenty of protein) with bite-sized pieces of chicken breast, plus a boost of nutrition from broccolini, pearl onions, and cherry tomatoes. The best part? The total time from cooking your pasta to sitting down to eat is about 20 minutes.

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Veggies

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (14)

What if we told you that you could make a healthier version of fettuccine Alfredo in only 15 minutes? The proof is in this recipe, which relies on butter, milk, and Parmesan cheese to make a lighter sauce. Load it up with fresh veggies including asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and mushrooms to finish things off.

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Triple-Veggie Pasta

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (15)

There are actually six different veggies hiding in this healthy pasta and veggies dish! Instead of using regular pasta, we used a trio of spiralized veggies—zucchini, summer squash, and carrots—to act as the "noodles."But don't worry about it being less than satisfying. This recipe still gets a little bit of decadence, thanks to the creamy light Alfredo sauce.

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Spaghetti with Two Tomato Toss

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You'll know your baby tomatoes are done and ready to top a plate of gluten-free spaghetti (this recipe calls for corn spaghetti, but you can use any variety you prefer) when they "pop" and release all of their bright juices. Tiny little balls of bocconcini (mozzarella) make this feel like an extra-special dish, though it all comes together in about half an hour.

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Summer Pasta Salad

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17 Fast and Healthy Pasta and Veggie Recipes to Use Up Everything in Your Crisper Drawer (17)

Fresh cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and zucchini are briefly cooked in garlic, then tossed into this pasta salad recipe, creating the perfect side dish to grilled meat. You could also make this healthy pasta with vegetables recipe a main dish by adding white beans, grilled chicken, or shrimp right into the bowl.