Recipes Special Diets Vegetarian 32 Super-Flavorful Vegetarian Pastas By Food & Wine Editors Updated on September 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos With a rainbow of fresh produce, a seemingly endless array of available pasta shapes, and infinite sauce possibilities, it makes sense that there are so many amazing vegetable-based pasta dishes. Here, we've gathered some of our very favorite combinations, from Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Tarragon, and Goat Cheese Sauce to Tagliatelle with Fennel in White Wine-Pumpkin Sauce to Mafaldine with Pea Shoot-Meyer Lemon Pesto. Read on for these and more delicious vegetarian pastas. 01 of 32 Orecchiette with Pistachio Pesto © Con Poulos This amazingly flavorful pesto has a key ingredient that makes it stand out: Sicily's famed pistachio nuts. "Sicilian pistachios are incredibly sweet and fruity, not like the cheap ones we eat in front of the TV here in the U.S.," says chef Frank Falcinelli. Get the Recipe 02 of 32 Fried Zucchini Spaghetti This pasta is an ode to the mountains of fried zucchini Gwyneth Paltrow ate at Elio's, an Italian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side, growing up. Here, she adds the crispy zucchini slices to spaghetti that's tossed with shredded Parmesan cheese (which adds texture to the dish) and plenty of olive oil and basil. Get the Recipe 03 of 32 Ziti, Eggplant, and Fontina Gratin Eggplant is sautéed in olive oil until it's creamy-soft and then tossed with pasta and cheese. A quick stint under the broiler melts the Fontina and browns the top. Get the Recipe 04 of 32 Pasta with Marinated Grilled Eggplant, Burrata, and Chiles © Con Poulos Torn pieces of burrata are tossed into the orecchiette just after it's cooked so the cheese melts ever so slightly into the pasta, which is laced with chunks of tender, smoky eggplant. Get the Recipe 05 of 32 Mafaldine with Pea Shoot-Meyer Lemon Pesto Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Fresh pea shoots, parsley, and dill make a verdant pesto balanced with salty ricotta salata cheese and nutty roasted sunflower seed kernels. The bright sauce clings beautifully to ruffled mafaldine pasta, but any textured pasta shape will work well. Get the Recipe 06 of 32 Linguine with Red Cabbage We top this garlicky, cabbage-forward linguine recipe with a scattering of crumbled feta, which melts on the warm pasta to give the dish a creamy tang. Serve it with an Italian Dolcetto, which pairs well with lightly bitter vegetables. Get the Recipe 07 of 32 Spinach Fettuccine with Tangy Grilled Summer Squash © Con Poulos At her restaurant, chef Amanda Cohen tosses herb fettuccine with pickled squash blossoms and grilled zucchini. This simplified recipe features squash that's pickled and then grilled, plus freshly sautéed squash. Get the Recipe 08 of 32 Carrot and Ricotta Ravioli © Antonis Achilleos This slightly sweet ravioli can be prepared in advance over the course of two days. Mix the filling on the first day, store it in the fridge overnight, then make the dough and assemble the ravioli the next day. Get the Recipe 09 of 32 Baked Ziti with Pesto Because it's baked, this recipe takes a bit longer from kitchen to table than some other pasta dishes. You'll find the preparation time, though, is just as short as that of any other recipe here, especially if you opt for store-bought pesto. Get the Recipe 10 of 32 Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Tarragon, and Goat Cheese Sauce © FRANCES JANISCH The delectably rich-tasting sauce that clings to each strand of fettuccine here requires no cooking. Just combine goat cheese, Parmesan, milk, and some of the still-hot pasta-cooking water, and it's done. Get the Recipe 11 of 32 Fusilli with Creamed Leek and Spinach This delicious pasta dish comes together in just 25 minutes from only six ingredients, plus salt and freshly ground pepper. It's wonderful with an aromatic Italian Chardonnay. Get the Recipe 12 of 32 Orecchiette with Greens, Mozzarella, and Chickpeas © John Kernick For this quick dish, crispy pan-fried chickpeas top a medley of garlicky grape tomatoes and wilted Swiss chard, al dente pasta, fresh mozzarella, and torn basil leaves. Pair it with a fruit-forward Pinot Gris. Get the Recipe 13 of 32 Wild Mushroom Lasagna In this decadent lasagna, store-bought fresh pasta sheets are layered with chanterelle, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms in a creamy wine sauce. Spiced Pinot Noir is an excellent match for the dish. Get the Recipe 14 of 32 Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables Chef Eric Chopin tosses this whole wheat pasta with sweet acorn squash, roasted plum tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and kalamata olives. It's served with a touch of freshly grated pecorino cheese to round out the flavors. Get the Recipe 15 of 32 Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato-Almond Pesto JOHN KERNICK This Mediterranean dish from Philadelphia chef Marcie Turney is quick and utterly delicious. The pesto is a simple, satisfying blend of sun-dried tomatoes, roasted almonds, garlic, and olive oil. Get the Recipe 16 of 32 Creamy Buckwheat Pasta with Wild Mushrooms TINA RUPP Chefs love showcasing the intensely earthy flavor of buckwheat in rich, luxurious dishes. Here, 2014 F&W Best New Chef Matthew Accarrino combines buckwheat pasta with creamy mascarpone, silky mushrooms, and runny eggs. Get the Recipe 17 of 32 Parsnip Triangoli with Aged Balsamic Vinegar "The first time I picked up a rolling pin in front of ladies who've made pasta every day for the past 30 years, I was nervous as hell, " says chef Thomas McNaughton. But you needn't be nervous! This triangular pasta is a simple shape to master at home. Get the Recipe 18 of 32 Spaghetti with Parsley Almond Pesto Parsley, rather than the traditional basil, makes this pesto a year-round staple. Because the taste of almonds is more delicate than that of the usual pine nuts, we chop rather than grind them. Their gentle flavor really shines when you bite into a nutty chunk. Get the Recipe 19 of 32 Ziti with Roasted Vegetables Roasting vegetables at a high temperature caramelizes them, making them intensely flavorful. You may think of roasting as a long process, but we cut each of the vegetables into small cubes or thin slices so they need only 30 minutes in the oven. Get the Recipe 20 of 32 Baked Broccoli Ravioli Chef Bill Telepan's fresh free-form ravioli are filled with broccoli and cheese, then boiled and baked until crisp at the edges. They're served with a drizzle of basil oil and a dusting of freshly grated pecorino. Get the Recipe 21 of 32 Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms Chef Andrew Carmellini cooks homemade gnocchi in his own intense mushroom stock, then serves them with herbed porcini butter and white truffle shavings. To simplify the recipe, use store-bought gnocchi and chicken stock instead of making the components from scratch, then top with truffle oil and Parmesan. Get the Recipe 22 of 32 Ravioli Nudi in Tomato Sauce © CHRISTINA HOLMES Hear the words "ravioli nudi" — literally, naked ravioli — and you may envision little sauceless pasta packets. But in fact it's not the sauce that's missing, but the pasta itself! Ravioli filling — in this case, spinach and ricotta, — is simmered like tender little dumplings. To save time, buy pre-washed spinach. Get the Recipe 23 of 32 Creamy Baked Orzo with Goat Cheese Onion, thyme, goat cheese, cream cheese, and milk are cooked into a luscious cream sauce to coat the pasta. It's then strewn with piquant pecorino and baked to golden perfection. It all comes together in just 45 minutes. Get the Recipe 24 of 32 Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese © HANNAH QUEEN Meaty mushrooms are enhanced by sweet caramelized onions and just enough tangy melted goat cheese in this delicious year-round pasta. Get the Recipe 25 of 32 Cheese Tortellini with Walnut Pesto Christina Holmes Here's one of the quickest pesto sauces you'll come across. It's a great match for cheese tortellini, but you can use other tortellini such as mushroom or meat instead. The pesto is also delicious with just about any plain pasta. Get the Recipe 26 of 32 Pasta alla Norma Justin Walker This simple pasta dish celebrates summer produce and Italian pasta traditions with fresh tomato sauce, fried eggplant, sweet onions, and aromatic basil, yielding a bowl that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Get the Recipe 27 of 32 Pasta with Pumpkin Brown Butter Sauce Abby Hocking A classic browned butter and sage sauce gets a boost of fall flavor from homemade pumpkin butter. Be generous with the Parmigiano-Reggiano; its salty, savory bite adds the perfect hit of umami to this decadent pasta dish. Get the Recipe 28 of 32 Spaghettini with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Oil We've added sautéed mushrooms to the classic — and very simple — spaghetti with garlic and oil, but the dish can still be made in no time at all. Regular white mushrooms are excellent here; portobellos or wild mushrooms would be great, too. Get the Recipe 29 of 32 Bucatini with Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Chef Marc Vetri sautés cauliflower and brussels sprouts with onion, garlic, anchovies, and herbs until they're charred and flavorful, then tosses them with long, thick strands of bucatini. Feel free to omit the anchovies if you like. Get the Recipe 30 of 32 Spaghettoni with Butter and Brewer's Yeast Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox Italian chef Ricardo Camanini built an award-winning reputation on this incredibly delicious spaghettoni recipe topped with butter and a surprising ingredient: brewer's yeast. It has such simple, luscious, and funky umami appeal that legendary French chef Alain Ducasse declared it the best dish ever. Get the Recipe 31 of 32 Three-Cheese Lasagna with Roasted Red Peppers and Mushrooms Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners To create a flavor-packed vegetarian lasagna, start by roasting mushrooms and red peppers with a garlic-infused oil. While the vegetables are cooking, stir together a quick ricotta filling with plenty of Parmesan for extra umami. Get the Recipe 32 of 32 Tagliatelle with Fennel in White Wine-Pumpkin Sauce © Sarah Bolla This pasta is comforting but light. Adding a fresh squeeze of lemon juice at the end complements the fennel and gives a slightly sharp taste to the creaminess of the sauce. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit