11 Healthy Pasta Recipes

Attention carb-lovers, your favorite pastas just got lighter. We've turned lasagna, ravioli, and all the most sinful pasta dishes into delicious, healthy entrees. These recipes will fill you up without weighing you down or making you sluggish.

Ravioli with pork, fennel, and shiitake sauce
Turn convenient packaged raviolis into a Mediterranean masterpiece with this Italian blend of low-sodium broth, vegetables, and lean pork tenderloin. Top it off with a hint of buttery Parmesan cheese, and enjoy with a glass of pinot grigio.

Try this recipe:Ravioli With Pork, Fennel, and Shiitake Sauce

You can have your greens and eat them too thanks to this green veggie-heavy shell dish. Toss your whole grain pasta with English peas, crisp Bibb lettuce leaves, parsely, chives, thyme, and shallots for a fresh, springtime take on an Italian favorite. Manchego cheese adds a little bite to this crisp pasta. Bonus: a serving packs 14 grams of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.

Try this recipe: Shells With Bibb Lettuce and Spring Peas

In the mood for a rich, buttery pasta dish? Whip up this linguine-based dish that features savory prosciutto and creamy mozzarella instead. The use of fresh cheese and olive oil brings the saturated fat down to just 5 grams. Hearty asparagus adds a green element and plenty of fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, and E to this tasty recipe.

Try this recipe: Linguine With Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella

Add a fresh twist to your pasta with fresh fennel, mint, basil, and sugar snap peas. Nutty hemp seeds add good-for-you omega 3 fats to the pasta, which only comes in at 375 calories per serving. When topped with Parmesan cheese, the refreshing and slightly crunchy dish (thanks, sugar snap peas!) will easily become your new warm weather go-to.

Try this recipe: Fennel and Sugar Snap Pea Orecchiette

Try this recipe: Pasta Pearls With Spinach and Turmeric

Cilantro, spinach, and zucchini create a hearty yet healthful one-dish pasta meal. The best part? It's only 324 calories per serving, but has 63 mg of calcium and 11 grams of protein. Not a fan of cilantro? Trade it for parsley.

Ingredients: Unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, yellow onion, anchovy fillets, ground turmeric, pearl couscous, low-sodium chicken broth, salt and pepper, zucchini, baby spinach, fresh cilantro

Calories: 324

If you want the yummy texture of pasta without all of the processed carbohydrates, this veggie noodle dish is sure to please. Spiralized carrots and zucchini pack in tons of good-for-you vitamins and minerals like beta carotene, fiber, and potassium that traditional pastas normally wouldn't offer. A few ounces of real spaghetti mixed into this dish ensures it's still the satisfying Italian meal you were craving.

Try the recipe: Carrot and Zucchini Pasta

Make your own marinara with this quick 30-minute meal. Most pasta dishes load up with carbs, but the shrimp in this dish add plenty of lean, filling protein to the linguine. Plus, it contains 30% of your daily iron needs. Antioxidant-rich tomatoes bring a sweet flavor to the slightly bitter olives. The secret ingredient—clam juice—pulls the garlic and parsley together with its savory flavor.

Try this recipe:Linguine With Shrimp, Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers

Simple and satisfying, this dish gives ordinary ingredients a kick with crushed red pepper and salty pecorino Romano cheese. The spiral-shaped Fiore looks wonderful on the platter next to cancer-fighting broccoli rabe and protein-packed chicken. And, as a surprising addition, this recipe calls for leeks, which are thought to lower cholesterol.

Try this recipe:Fiore with Broccoli Rabe, Chicken, and Pecorino Cheese

Italian for "the pinch," pizzichi is a whole-grain, artisanal pasta, which adds a boost of fiber. This dish combines salty turkey bacon with tender, folate-rich asparagus and haricot verts, plus a dash of mint. The result is a refreshing, filling dish for 350 calories.

Try this recipe:Pizzichi With Spring Veggies

Certain veggie lasagnas pack up to 18 grams of fat behind a seemingly healthy exterior. But our recipe manages to combine nutrient-rich mushrooms, artichokes, and spinach with low-fat cheeses to create a rich and steaming hot pan of pasta for 10 grams. Instead of heavy cream, we use skim milk, flour, and a dash of nutmeg to make a low-cal béchamel sauce with a sweet, heartwarming taste.

Try this recipe:Vegetable Lasagna

Get a taste of the Mediterranean with this salty caper-filled pasta. Artichokes, fire roasted tomatoes, and garlic add even more southern European flavor to this easy-to-make meal (it only takes 25 minutes!). The dish is low in saturated fat and high in calcium and protein, so you know you're filling your body with the good stuff while still enjoying a hearty treat.

Try this recipe: Bucatini With Artichokes and Caperberries