Ever wish you could come home to a warm, comforting pasta dinner without the hard work? Check out these pasta meal prep recipes.
These dishes are a combo of deliciousness and convenience. They allow you to have pasta whenever you want without cooking after a long, hard day.
They also make it easy to take hearty pasta dishes for lunch or on-the-go meals.
So, if you’re interested in meal prepping with pasta, stick around. I’ve compiled 25 of the best pasta meal prep recipes to get you started.
1. 15-Minute Chicken Sausage Pasta Meal Prep Bowls
These 15-minute prep bowls have it all: meat, veggies, pasta, and sauce. The thick slices of juicy sausage and mixed veggies make hearty meals for the whole family.
It takes about 15 minutes to prepare enough for four meal boxes. And when it’s time to eat, you only need to mix and microwave them for a few minutes.
2. Freezer-Friendly Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese is a classic Italian dish that almost everyone enjoys. Unfortunately, it takes about an hour to whip up from scratch.
But it’s also easily freezable. So you’ll have to spend time cooking the dish at some point. But you can do it on a lazy weekend when you have nothing else going on.
Then, simply freeze it. Finally, thaw it out and heat it when you want it. Easy, peasy, and Parmesan cheesy!
3. Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta Meal Prep
This simple, easy-to-make meal is perfect for those who love Mediterranean flavors. It features antioxidant-rich kale, juicy tomatoes, and tender, well-seasoned chicken.
It’ll remind you of a Caprese salad but in pasta form. It’s light, bright, and full of flavor. It’s also a filling but not-too-heavy lunch. It won’t leave you weighed down after eating it.
4. Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
The great thing about this creamy chicken pasta is it tastes fantastic warm or cold. So you can enjoy it immediately after cooking or store it for meal prep later.
Then, when you want to eat it, you don’t even have to warm it up! (You can if you want to, though.) Either way, it tastes just as good.
5. Easy Chicken Pasta Bake
In the mood for something a bit more decadent? Try this easy chicken pasta bake. It’s rich and cheesy, real stick-to-your-ribs food.
It’ll remind you of lasagna, though you won’t use lasagna noodles. But it’s thick and hearty and shares some of the same ingredients.
There’s garlic, meat, onions, pasta, marinara sauce, peppers, and more. It takes about an hour to prepare from scratch but heats up nicely. It’s perfect for meal prepping.
6. Freezer Lasagna
Of course, actual lasagna works well for meal prepping, too. You just have to know how to make it properly. This freezer lasagna recipe can show you how.
It has everything you love about lasagna, only in a convenient meal prep form. Plus, you can make it up to 3 months ahead of time and store it in the freezer.
It doesn’t get much more convenient than that.
7. Spaghetti Meal Prep
I love spaghetti, but on busy weeknights, I like to make something less time-consuming.
This is a simple recipe, but it delivers big flavor and big-time convenience It also adds a side of crisp, oven-roasted broccoli.
Meal prep really doesn’t get much easier than this dish. And who doesn’t love spaghetti?
8. Meal Prep Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad
This Asian-inspired chicken pasta salad is another excellent meal prep option. The tangy dressing provides loads of flavor, and it tastes great, warm or cold.
You can save even more time by using leftover chicken tossed in sesame oil and soy sauce.
9. Freezer Meal Beef Ragu
Beef ragu works well as a make-ahead freezer meal. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Then, when you want to serve it, just toss it in your slow cooker. Let it cook for about 4 hours on high, and it’s ready to enjoy. It’s the ideal choice for easy weeknight dinners.
10. Meal Prep Pasta Primavera
Looking for a meatless meal prep pasta instead? Pasta primavera is my go-to vegetarian pasta. It’s light and tasty with a creamy sauce and plenty of veggies.
Adjust the recipe however you like. But as written, it’s already every veggie-lover’s dream. There are peppers, shallots, artichokes, broccoli, capers, and more!
There may not be any meat in this pasta, but it’s certainly not lacking in flavor. (Or nutrients!)
11. Chicken Penne with Asparagus and Pistachios
This yummy recipe takes traditional chicken penne up a notch. It adds sauteed asparagus, pistachios, and a cheesy, buttery sauce.
It’s rich and flavorful, and you can make four meal prep servings in about 25 minutes.
Take it to work, or let the kids take it to school. Either way, it’ll make everyone happy.
12. Make-Ahead Lemon Chicken Sheet-Pan Gnocchi
You can call it pasta, or you can call it dumplings. For our purposes, though, gnocchi falls firmly into the pasta category. Bright, zingy, and full of fresh veggies, this one-pan meal is delightful.
It has a whole serving (or more) of veggies, lean chicken for protein, and a bold citrusy flavor. You can reheat it in the microwave or use the stove for extra-crispy gnocchi.
13. Caprese Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Here’s another terrific choice for those who love Mediterranean fare. This Caprese salad has quinoa and baked chicken for extra heartiness. It’s ideal for lunch or dinner.
As with many of these dishes, you can save even more time by using leftover chicken. (Instead of baking it fresh.)
14. Spinach Pasta Salad in a Jar
These pasta salads in jars aren’t just great for meal prepping. They also make excellent gift ideas for friends.
You assemble the ingredients for the recipe, then simply load everything into a jar. Tie a pretty ribbon around them to make them look nice, and voila!
When it’s time to eat, simply shake the jars to combine the ingredients. Then, pour the salad into a bowl or eat it straight from the jar. Everything about that is a win.
15. Chicken and Tomato Pasta Meal Prep
Like your pasta with loads of tomato yumminess? This chicken and tomato pasta meal is the recipe for you. It’s easy to whip up and makes enough for four meal prep containers.
That’s almost a week’s worth of meals for one or a day’s lunch for the whole family. Unless you have a pretty large family, of course. (In that case, you can simply double the recipe!)
16. Creamy Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta Meal Prep Bowls
These days, not all pasta comes with noodles. You can make your pasta meal prep with zucchini noodles instead.
This low-carb, keto-friendly meal prep option is perfect for those on carb-restricted diets. It’s also relatively low in calories. It has a ton of flavor, though, so don’t worry about that!
17. Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Try this colorful pasta dish if you’re in the mood for seafood. It’s a quick, 30-minute meal option you can store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Don’t try to freeze it, though. The shrimp will be all rubbery when you thaw it again. It’s still a great meal prep option, but you’ll have to use it within the week you make it.
18. Shrimp Bowtie Pasta
This shrimp bowtie pasta also works well as long as you eat it within a few days. (Again, shrimp doesn’t freeze well.)
It’s quick and easy, uses just five ingredients, and tastes fantastic.
19. Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta
I love everything about this whole wheat summer pesto pasta. It has a gorgeous golden color, a rich sauce, and is full of veggies.
Plus, it’s a simple-to-make, one-pot meal perfect for meal prepping. And if you want to make it vegan-friendly, simply leave out the chicken.
20. Arugula Pesto Pasta Meal Prep
On the other hand, this pasta meal is already vegan-friendly. It’s a green-heavy pasta with arugula pesto, asparagus, green peas, and zucchini.
It has a light, fresh taste and works well on its own or as a side dish to complement something else. Zest it up with extra lemon juice for a more citrusy flavor.
21. Lemon Chickpea Pasta Salad Meal Prep
Mason jar pasta salads take any ordinary salad over the top! Every time I take one to work or a friend, I always get compliments.
This lemon chickpea pasta salad is colorful, healthy, and delicious. It’s a real head-turner.
And you just can’t beat it for convenience and speed. Once you’ve made this jar, it takes 2 minutes to shake it up and have it ready to eat.
22. Baked Ziti
This baked ziti stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. That makes it ideal for meal prepping.
Make it ahead of time. Then, break it out when you want something warm, comforting, cheesy, and scrumptious.
23. Chickpea Orzo Salad Lunch Meal Prep
This colorful 30-minute meal makes enough for six servings! That’s a whole lot of meal prepping from a single recipe.
It’s packed with nutrients, gluten-free, and low in calories and fat. It’s even Weight Watchers-approved and vegetarian-friendly!
24. Mac and Cheese for Meal Prep
How often do you grab a microwavable cup of mac and cheese and have that for dinner? I do it at least once or twice every few weeks. It’s quick, easy, and convenient. Plus, who doesn’t love mac and cheese?!
However, once you try this recipe, you’ll never return to microwavable Kraft again. This simple mac and cheese prep is just as convenient but tastes much better.
It’s fresher, cheesier, and has tender broccoli for extra nutrients. Trust me, you’ll never want the store-bought stuff again.
25. Chicken Tortellini Pesto Bowls
This recipe is at the end of the list, but it’s one of my favorites. The chicken is juicy, well-seasoned, and succulent. The beans are crisp, and the tomatoes are plump and fresh.
Every bite of this dish is overflowing with herby deliciousness. And the sun-dried tomatoes take the entire recipe up a notch.
It takes more work than some of the other options on the list. But the return you get (flavor-wise) is well worth the extra effort.
25 Best Pasta Meal Prep Recipes (Easy Ideas)
Make your life easier with these pasta meal prep recipes! From spaghetti to lasagna, making dishes is advance is the way to go.
Ingredients
15 -Minute Chicken Sausage Pasta Meal Prep Bowls
Freezer-Friendly Spaghetti Bolognese
Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta Meal Prep
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Easy Chicken Pasta Bake
Freezer Lasagna
Spaghetti Meal Prep
Meal Prep Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad
Freezer Meal Beef Ragu
Meal Prep Pasta Primavera
Chicken Penne with Asparagus and Pistachios
Make-Ahead Lemon Chicken Sheet-Pan Gnocchi
Caprese Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Spinach Pasta Salad in a Jar
Chicken and Tomato Pasta Meal Prep
Creamy Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta Meal Prep Bowls
Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Shrimp Bowtie Pasta
Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta
Arugula Pesto Pasta Meal Prep
Lemon Chickpea Pasta Salad Meal Prep
Baked Ziti
Chickpea Orzo Salad Lunch Meal Prep
Mac and Cheese for Meal Prep
Chicken Tortellini Pesto Bowls
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a pasta dish in 30 minutes or less!
