Ditch the standard ham or prime rib for the holidays and serve up one of these delicious Christmas pasta recipes instead! From manicotti, to pasta alla vodka, and more!
Everyone loves a hearty pasta dish, so why not gift your family with one of these amazing pasta recipes. They’re easy, stress-free recipes.
And, may I make a suggestion?
Double the recipe so that everyone has leftovers to take home!
So… let’s dig in! These are the BEST holiday pasta recipes!
PS – Don’t forget about the BEST Italian desserts too!
EASY Pasta Dishes for Christmas Dinner
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta – a super easy pasta dish with the most delicious, creamy sun-dried tomato sauce loaded with mozzarella & parmesan cheese. This vegetarian dinner will be on your dinner table in 20 minutes!
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Manicotti with Lasagna Noodles
This 3-cheese stuffed manicotti recipe is made extra easy by using no boil lasagna noodles instead of pasta tubes. That means no need for a piping bag to fill them, and they come together so quickly. They’ll be ready to bake in just 10 minutes!
Recipe
Burrata Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this indulgent and delicious Burrata Tortellini with Cream Tomato Sauce! A marinara and garlicky cream sauce are tossed with cheese tortellini in one pan and topped with burrata. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
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Homemade Vodka Sauce
This Pasta Alla Vodka recipe will be a definite keeper. Pasta is tossed in a tomato vodka sauce that’s deliciously creamy and kicked up with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
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Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Shrimp Fra Diavolo features sautéed shrimp tossed in a spicy tomato sauce spiked with white wine. It's a quick & easy delicious pasta recipe perfect for the weeknight dinner table.
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Italian Sunday Gravy
This Authentic Italian Sunday Gravy is what I grew up eating every week. Nana’s tomato meat sauce holds a fond place in my heart, and her recipe lives on to this day in my recipe box. It’s my most requested recipe and today I’m sharing it with you.
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Ground Lamb Pasta with Feta
This Ground Lamb Pasta with feta, cherry tomatoes & calabrian chiles is the tastiest way to recreate the baked feta TikTok craze that's been sweeping the internet. It's creamy, tangy and so super delicious!
Recipe
Garlic and Oil Pasta
Garlic and Oil Pasta (or Spaghetti Aglio e Olio) is a traditional Italian recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes. It’s made with a short list of flavorful ingredients, ensuring that it’s always simple, quick, and tasty.
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Tuna Casserole with Cheese
This easy Tuna Noodle Casserole with Cheese is an upgraded version of classic tuna noodle casserole. Spiked with piquillo peppers, white wine & topped with panko.
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Instant Pot Spaghetti with Jar Sauce
Instant Pot Spaghetti is an easy and delicious weeknight meal the whole family will love! Made with simple ingredients, this comfortingly classic spaghetti recipe is ready in 30 minutes!
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Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta
Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta will be on your table in 20 minutes! Swirled with a dreamy, lemony-kale pesto. It’s basically heaven in a bowl.
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Pesto Rosso (Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto)
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (Pesto Rosso) is delicious tossed with pasta or gnocchi, spread on crostini, or dolloped on chicken, steak or pork. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients in 5 minutes!
Recipe
Broccoli Walnut Pesto Pasta
This Broccoli Walnut Pesto is a healthy-ish way to indulge in a big bowl of pasta. This homemade broccoli pesto with fresh basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil and lemon is rich, creamy and delicious. Swirl it together with your favorite pasta and top it with some extra parmesan and walnuts for a delicious nutty flavor & crunch.
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Quick Homemade Gnocchi
Potato Gnocchi is fun & easy to make at home! This easy gnocchi recipe is made with just 4-ingredients! It's so pillow-y and delicious, you won't go back to store-bought gnocchi. Toss it with Sunday gravy, pesto, or browned butter & sage.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
This Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce would make my Nana Lamancuso proud. It’s silky and luscious with super tender meat and so much flavor. Crockpot bolognese is where it’s at!
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Fennel Pasta
This Roasted Fennel Pasta recipe features fresh linguini tossed in a light lemon sauce with roasted fennel. It's topped with dollop of ricotta cheese for extra richness.
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White Bolognese Sauce
This White Bolognese Sauce recipe combines beef & Italian sausage in this silky, rich & delicately spiced sauce that's perfect for topping a bowl of pasta!
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Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp
This recipe for Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp & Cherry Tomatoes only looks fancy. It’s easy to make in under 30 minutes and the flavor is delicious!
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Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce
This Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce comes together easily, with no chopping or constant stove monitoring. Just pop it in the oven and let the roasting process intensify the flavor of canned tomatoes.
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Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese Sauce
This Lentil Bolognese Sauce can be made in no time with the help of your Instant Pot.
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Pasta with Bacon and Peas
This Pasta with Peas and Bacon comes together in just 20 minutes! It's a delicious (and budget friendly) dinner that's perfect for any night of the week.
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Brussel Sprout Pasta
Brussel Sprout Pasta will be ready in just 30 minutes! Shaved brussels sprouts are tossed with pasta & a delicious mustard & parmesan cheese sauce.
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Easy Lemon Pasta
This easy Lemon Pasta is deliciously tangy and creamy, plus it comes together in under 15 minutes!
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Pearl Couscous with Tomatoes
Tomato Couscous is an amazing side dish full of flavor. Toasted pearl couscous is tossed with a burst tomato sauce and finished with a squeeze of lime for a delightful tang. Yum!
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Full Recipe
25+ BEST Christmas Pasta Dishes
Ditch the standard ham or prime rib for the holidays and serve up this delicious Christmas pasta recipe instead! You won’t believe how easy it is to make this indulgent and delicious Tortellini in Cream Sauce (with Burrata Cheese)! A marinara and garlicky cream sauce are tossed with cheese tortellini in one pan and topped with burrata. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
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Serves 4 people
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups homemade marinara sauce)
- 20 ounces cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped, plus more for serving)
- 1 clove garlic (grated or finely minced)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 ounces burrata cheese (at room temperature)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the marinara sauce to a large skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream, basil, garlic and red pepper flakes and keep warm over low heat.
- Once the tortellini have finished cooking, drain and add to the skillet with the sauce. Toss to combine.
- Divide the tortellini between plates and top with burrata and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips and variations:
- Set the burrata on the counter as you make this recipe. Room temperature burrata will melt quickly on top of the tortellini, making each bite deliciously cheesy and stretchy.
- There’s always room for more cheese! Stir ricotta, parmesan, or mozzarella cheese in with the sauce-covered tortellini and top each bowl with extra parmesan.
- To enhance the garlicky goodness, replace the fresh garlic with roasted garlic.
- You can lighten up the dish by replacing the heavy cream with milk or dairy free milk (or creamer) but it won’t be as lusciously creamy.
- Stir kale, spinach, or sun dried tomatoes into the dish for a little added nutrition.
- To give this dish some added meatiness, replace the marinara with bolognese sauce, use meat-stuffed tortellini instead, or stir Italian sausage into the skillet.
Nutrition
Calories: 738kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1133IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 534mg | Iron: 4mg
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