Some nights, cooking needs to be as simple as dumping ingredients into a pot and walking away. No multitasking, no endless cleanup, just a solid meal with minimal effort. These pasta recipes are made for those nights. They come together fast, cook in one pan, and don’t ask much from you. You still get a real dinner without the usual mess or time sink.
Pasta Bake with Turkey
This no-boil pasta bake checks every box for a dump-and-cook dinner. It uses ground turkey, pantry pasta, and a single casserole dish to make a hearty meal with zero stovetop juggling. Toss it all together, bake, and let the oven do the rest.
Get the Recipe: Pasta Bake with Turkey
Instant Pot Bolognese
Traditional bolognese takes hours to simmer, but this version delivers deep flavor in a fraction of the time. Toss everything in the Instant Pot and let pressure do the work. Perfect for busy weeknights that still need a hearty meal.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Bolognese
Italian Tomato Pasta Soup
Loaded with sausage, beef, mushrooms, and greens, this soup is a full meal that’s as comforting as it is easy. Just dump it all in a pot and let it simmer until dinner is ready.
Get the Recipe: Italian Tomato Pasta Soup
Brussels Sprouts Pasta
With just six ingredients and a 25-minute cook time, this pasta delivers big flavor with barely any prep. Bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes do the heavy lifting while the pasta cooks.
Get the Recipe: Brussels Sprouts Pasta
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
This weeknight pasta mixes rigatoni with a creamy tomato sauce, parmesan, and spinach for a meatless meal that feels rich without being heavy. Ready in 30 minutes and only uses one pan.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Turkey Skillet Mac and Cheese
This one-pot dinner combines pasta, ground turkey, cheddar, and veggies for a grown-up version of a childhood favorite. It’s a great dump-and-cook choice when boxed mac just won’t cut it.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Skillet Mac and Cheese
Baked Spaghetti Carbonara
All the richness of carbonara without hovering over a hot pan. This baked version layers spaghetti, eggs, cheese, and pancetta into a cozy dish that feeds a crowd and skips the stress. Dump, bake, done.
Get the Recipe: Baked Spaghetti Carbonara
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta
This weeknight pasta loads up on roasted cauliflower, garlic, and warm spice with barely any prep. Toss everything in one pan and let the oven handle it while you check out. It’s a great fit for the dump-and-cook lifestyle when you want something that feels a little different.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Pasta
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This one-pot pasta turns your favorite party dip into a dinner that actually fills you up. The chicken, hot sauce, cheese, and pasta cook together in a single dish, making cleanup painless and the end result perfect for spicy comfort food cravings.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Skip the layering marathon and dump everything into the slow cooker instead. This version has all the classic lasagna flavors—meaty sauce, creamy ricotta, and plenty of mozzarella—without the hassle. Let it simmer while you do literally anything else.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Lasagna
Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna
This Instant Pot lasagna delivers all the flavor of the traditional version in half the time and with a lot less cleanup. Just throw the ingredients into the pot and let pressure do the work. It’s everything you want from dump-and-cook pasta.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna
Hearty Italian White Bean Soup with Pasta
Packed with cannellini beans, spinach, pasta, and a rich coconut-tomato broth, this dump-and-go crockpot soup eats like a meal. It’s filling, flavorful, and the slow cooker does the heavy lifting while you go about your day.
Get the Recipe: Hearty Italian White Bean Soup with Pasta
Keto Baked Feta Pasta
TikTok made it famous, but this feta pasta actually earns a spot in your dinner rotation. Dump the cheese, tomatoes, and noodles in a dish, bake until bubbly, and stir. No chopping, no boiling, no mess.
Get the Recipe: Keto Baked Feta Pasta
Pizza Pasta
This one-pot dinner throws pasta, sauce, cheese, and all your favorite pizza toppings into the same pot for a dish that’s equal parts nostalgic and easy. Dump everything in and cook it all at once—no oven time required.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta
Taco Pasta
Ground meat, taco seasoning, and pasta come together in a single pot for a Tex-Mex dinner that saves time and still brings bold flavor. It’s a great dump-and-cook option when tacos sound great but you don’t want to deal with the mess.
Get the Recipe: Taco Pasta
One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna
All the cheesy, saucy comfort of lasagna without turning on the oven. This one-pot version is perfect for when you’re craving lasagna but need it fast. Just add everything to the pot and simmer until it comes together.
Get the Recipe: One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna
Lazy Lasagna
Three ingredients, five minutes of effort, and the oven takes it from there. This is the definition of a dump-and-cook dinner. It might look like you spent time on it, but your secret’s safe.
Get the Recipe: Lazy Lasagna
Lazy Crockpot Lasagna
Forget the long bake time and complicated layering. This crockpot version lets you throw everything in the pot and walk away. After a few hours, you’ve got cheesy, saucy lasagna ready to serve with zero effort.
Get the Recipe: Lazy Crockpot Lasagna
Meatball Casserole
Juicy meatballs, cooked pasta, and a creamy marinara base bake together into a dinner that hits every comfort food note. This one-pan meal is a go-to dump-and-bake option for busy nights or last-minute guests.
Get the Recipe: Meatball Casserole
Electric Skillet Spaghetti
This dinner gets made from start to finish in an electric skillet—no boiling water, no separate sauce. The chicken, noodles, and cheese cook together for a pasta dish that basically runs itself.
Get the Recipe: Electric Skillet Spaghetti
Gluten-free Hamburger Helper
This one-skillet meal comes together fast and tastes way better than the boxed version. Ground beef, noodles, and a rich sauce cook all in one pan, which makes cleanup just as easy as prep.
Get the Recipe: Gluten-free Hamburger Helper
Dairy-Free Chili Mac
A dump-and-cook dish with bold chili flavor and classic mac comfort, all in a single skillet. No need to overthink it—just throw everything in the pan and let dinner take care of itself.
Get the Recipe: Dairy-Free Chili Mac
Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
This orzo pasta balances bright lemon with a rich creamy base for a dinner that’s both fresh and filling. It comes together quickly in one pan and doesn’t ask much of you beyond stirring.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Vegetarian Goulash
Elbow macaroni and plant-based protein simmer together in a bold tomato sauce in just 30 minutes. It’s hearty, easy to throw together, and perfect for when you want something filling without hovering over the stove.
Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Goulash
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy and spicy without being over the top, this Cajun pasta builds flavor fast in one pan. Great for when you want bold flavors and minimal mess.
Get the Recipe: Cajun Chicken Pasta
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.