Pastabilities that Whisper Comfort in Every Bite

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Pasta night just leveled up. Whether you’re twirling into Spaghetti alla Carbonara, cozying up to Turkey Tetrazzini, or diving into a pan of Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole, this collection is carb-loaded comfort at its finest. There’s Garlic Confit Pasta for your fancy side, Vegan Pasta Bake when you want hearty without the dairy, and School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese for pure nostalgic chaos. From Penne alla Vodka to Tuna Pasta, these dishes prove that no matter the shape or sauce, pasta always wins dinner!

Vegan Marry Me Sauce

Looking down on two plates with noodles, vegan marry-me sauce, and meatballs.
Photo credit: Namely Marly

Looking for a vegan sauce that’s sure to impress? This Vegan Marry Me Sauce is a creamy, flavorful, and decadent sauce that is perfect for pasta or dipping. Made with simple ingredients, this sauce comes together quickly and easily for a delicious vegan meal.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Marry Me Sauce

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole

A close-up of baked pasta with creamy sauce and herbs, partially scooped with a silver spoon on a decorative plate.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Chicken Alfredo Bake ditches the jarred sauce for a lighter homemade Alfredo that’s still irresistibly creamy. It’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser and an effortless way to make weeknights feel a little more special!
Get the Recipe: Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese

The image shows creamy macaroni and cheese topped with crispy breadcrumbs.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

This creamy mac starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven for the ultimate cheesy comfort whenever you need that homemade mac and cheese fix. With a secret ingredient that truly makes the dish, it’s a crowd-pleaser—and there are even directions for individual mac and cheese muffins! Get the Recipe: Homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese

Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

Baked pasta shells topped with melted cheese and garnished with herbs.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Move over, Olive Garden! Calling all cheese lovers—this one’s for you. With jumbo pasta shells, Italian cheeses, fresh herbs, and creamy béchamel, these Four Cheese Stuffed Shells are a meatless meal that checks every box! Get the Recipe: Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

Creamy Tomato and Sausage Penne

Two pasta bowls filled with penne and chunks of sausage and tomatoes.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Creamy Tomato and Sausage Penne is a fan favorite, bringing pantry staples to life with bright tomatoes, a kick of heat, and a luscious, creamy sauce!

To learn more: Creamy Tomato and Sausage Penne

Vegan Pasta Salad

Looking down on a bowl full of pasta salad, showing rotini noodles, broccoli, cauliflower, and black olives.
Photo credit: Namely Marly

This vegan pasta salad is the perfect side dish for your next potluck! It’s packed with healthy ingredients like broccoli, cauliflower, and black olives, and can be served cold or warm. The Italian vinaigrette dressing ties it all together for a flavorful and satisfying dish.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Pasta Salad

Garlic Confit Pasta

A plate of pasta has roasted garlic and tomatoes and fresh basil on top. There is steamed broccoli in the background.
Photo credit: Namely Marly

This vegan Garlic Confit Pasta recipe is quick, easy, and bursting with garlicky flavor! Made with just a handful of ingredients, including cherry tomatoes and nutritional yeast, this dish is sure to become a new family favorite. It’s perfect for a simple weeknight meal that doesn’t compromise on taste.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Confit Pasta

Vegan Pasta Bake

A plate of vegan pasta bake and a green leafy salad sits beside another plate full of pasta as well.
Photo credit: Namely Marly

This vegan pasta bake is the perfect comforting and easy meal! Penne pasta is tossed in a creamy garlic sauce, covered in red sauce, and topped with vegan mozzarella shreds. Customize this bake with your favorite veggies for a satisfying dish that’s ready in under an hour.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Pasta Bake

Vegan Spaghetti Squash with Chickpea Meatballs

A casserole dish with vegan spaghetti squash and meatballs sits on a counter with fresh cherry tomatoes behind it.
Photo credit: Namely Marly

Looking for a quick, low-carb, and tasty vegan dinner? This Vegan Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs recipe features delicious chickpea meatballs. The spaghetti squash is topped with a flavorful pasta sauce and vegan mozzarella shreds, making it a comforting and satisfying meal.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Spaghetti Squash with Chickpea Meatballs

Vegan Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Looking down on a bowl full of vegan stovetop mac and cheese with chickpeas in the center. A blue kitchen towel surrounds the bowl.
Photo credit: Namely Marly

This vegan stovetop mac and cheese uses chickpeas to create a creamy and savory sauce that you’ll want to make over and over again. Ready in under 30 minutes, this dish is perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight meal. Who knew vegan mac and cheese could be so easy and delicious?
Get the Recipe: Vegan Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Capellini Beurre Blanc with Bronzed Sea Scallop

A plate of creamy pasta topped with a seared scallop and garnished with rosemary.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Beurre Blanc Pasta with Seared Scallop brings pure elegance—tender pasta bathed in silky French butter sauce, topped with a perfectly golden scallop. Magnifique!

To learn more: Capellini Beurre Blanc with Bronzed Sea Scallop

Turkey and Noodles Tetrazzini

A hot leftover turkey and noodle tetrazzini casserole.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Looking for a way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Turkey and Noodles Tetrazzini is the perfect comfort food! This casserole combines creamy sauce, whole wheat spaghetti, and plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Get the Recipe: Turkey and Noodles Tetrazzini

School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese (A Lunch Lady Throwback)

A fork holds a portion of baked macaroni and cheese with golden breadcrumbs. In the background, there is a blurred baking dish containing more macaroni.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

This macaroni and cheese recipe is a throwback to school cafeteria lunches! The secret to the creamiest mac and cheese is using evaporated milk when mixing the sharp cheddar cheese sauce. This is a kid-friendly dish that can be served as a main course or side dish!
Get the Recipe: School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese (A Lunch Lady Throwback)

A Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

featured image for A Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

This Baked Spaghetti Casserole is pure comfort food! It’s easily customizable, so you can make it meatless or load it up with your favorite proteins. With simple ingredients and easy instructions, this casserole is sure to be a family favorite.
Get the Recipe: A Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole

A close-up of a baked casserole dish with bubbling cheese and pepper on top, containing pasta and browned meat sauce. The edges of the casserole are golden brown, suggesting it's freshly baked.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

This hearty Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole is comfort food at its finest. Wide egg noodles are combined with a savory beef and sausage mixture, sour cream, and a generous topping of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses for a bubbling, flavorful bake that will have everyone asking for seconds. It’s a crowd-pleasing dish that’s both kid-friendly and satisfying for adults.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole

Penne Alla Vodka

Penne Alla Vodka piled high on a white plate, sprinkled with parmasean cheese.
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This Penne Alla Vodka recipe is a creamy, dreamy pasta dish that’s surprisingly easy to make! Pancetta, garlic, tomato and cream come together for a rich, restaurant-quality sauce that perfectly coats every piece of penne. It’s sure to be a family favorite!
Get the Recipe: Penne Alla Vodka

Tortellini Alfredo

A bowl of Tortellini with cream sauce, spinach and bacon bits
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This Tortellini Alfredo recipe is a quick and easy meal that’s better than takeout! Packed with pancetta, spinach, and a creamy homemade Alfredo sauce, it’s sure to be a family favorite.
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Alfredo

Pasta With Zucchini

a bowl of pasta and zucchini with a spoon in it
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This Pasta with Zucchini recipe is a simple and delicious Italian dish that’s perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. Fresh zucchini is cooked with garlic and herbs, then served over perfectly cooked pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It’s a family-friendly meal that’s sure to please everyone at the table.
Get the Recipe: Pasta With Zucchini

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

a close up image of Spaghetti Carbonara on a plate
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This Spaghetti Alla Carbonara recipe is a quick and easy dish that’s perfect for a family-friendly meal. Spaghetti is coated in a silky sauce made from eggs, cheese, and crispy bacon for a truly spectacular dinner.
Get the Recipe: Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Clam Sauce

a plate of spaghetti with white clam sauce with clams in the shell and a fork twirling spaghetti
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

Bring the flavors of Italy to your kitchen with this easy Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce recipe! This seafood pasta dish is quick to make and a total crowd-pleaser. It’s so good, you’ll want to skip takeout and make this instead.
Get the Recipe: Clam Sauce

Spinach Mushroom Pasta

Freshly Cooked Creamy Parmesan Spinach Mushroom Pasta in a bowl with a white cloth napkin.
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This creamy parmesan spinach mushroom pasta is a simple, scrumptious, and quick dish that’s ready in under 30 minutes. It’s a great vegetarian option that’s perfect for a comforting weeknight meal or a holiday gathering. The combination of flavors and textures makes this pasta dish a crowd-pleaser.
Get the Recipe: Spinach Mushroom Pasta

Tuna Pasta

A plate of tuna pasta with olives and tomato sauce
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

Looking for a quick and easy dinner? This Tuna Pasta recipe is the perfect solution! It’s a budget-friendly, family-friendly dish that comes together in minutes using pantry staples like canned tuna and your favorite pasta.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Pasta

The Best Fettuccine Alfredo of Your Life

A pair of red tongs lifting creamy fettuccine Alfredo pasta from a white bowl, with the sauce coating the noodles.
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This Fettuccine Alfredo recipe by Erren’s Kitchen is so good, you’ll never order takeout again! The simple yet spectacular Alfredo sauce comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Garnish with fresh parsley for a pop of color and flavor.
Get the Recipe: The Best Fettuccine Alfredo of Your Life

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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