There’s nothing more easy than adding extra protein to a pasta recipe or modifying it so it fits your diet plan.
One of the ways you can do this is by whipping a cottage cheese sauce and using it as a base for your favorite pasta dish.
You can also play around and swap the boring old chicken with something more exciting such as salmon, tuna or Italian sausage.
And for those of you who are following a vegan or vegetarian diet, you can substitute regular pasta with garbanzo bean pasta.
In this list you’ll find easy protein pasta recipes that follow these ideas as well as some others that are even more creative.
14 Easy Protein Pasta Recipes
Crockpot Buffalo Wild Wings Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
My creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta is made with generous amounts of chicken breast and has other sources of protein such as parmesan.
Consequently, it’s very filling and ideal for someone on a bulk diet, for example.
The garlic parmesan Buffalo Wild Wings sauce makes the dish very palatable too and not something you can get bored of easily!
And if you don’t like the idea of using store-bought sauce for some reason I have a copycat recipe you can follow to make it at home from scratch although that will take you more time.
In terms of easiness to prepare you simply toss everything in the crockpot for 4 hours and let it cook while you run your daily errands.
The Buffalo Wild Wings Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta boasts around 40 grams of protein per serving which is, frankly, great given pasta is mostly carbs.
Also, since it’s very nutritious you may find yourself with some leftovers, which should not be a problem since the cooked chicken pasta holds well for about 3 days in the fridge.
Get the recipe: Crockpot Buffalo Wild Wings Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Creamy Broccoli Pasta
This simple pasta recipe blends a bunch of broccoli in a rich creamy sauce that’s high in protein.
The sauce is made from a mixture of cottage cheese and cream cheese and packs 20 grams of protein per serving.
This dish is also perfect if you’re on a vegetarian diet since it’s made without any meat.
Get the recipe at: I Heart Vegetables
Tuna Pesto Pasta
If you’re looking for a cheap way to boost up your protein intake, then you’ll love this Tuna Pesto Pasta.
It’s made with canned tuna which barely costs a dime and a homemade pesto sauce.
The pasta that’s used for this recipe is fusilli but you can easily substitute it with whatever you have at hand.
A single serving of this pasta comes with 43 grams of protein which makes it perfect as a post workout meal.
Get the recipe at: Sweet Caramel Sunday
Shrimp Pesto Pasta
This shrimp pesto pasta comes together in less than half an hour and has a ton of protein.
It’s also packed with a bunch of baby spinach, arugula and basil that will keep your vitamin levels in check.
Related: The Best Baby Shrimp Recipes
Prepping this dish is quite easy as all you need to do is boil the pasta, blend the pesto ingredients and saute the shrimp.
Get the recipe at: Healthy Fitness Meals
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Tender chicken bites coated in a fragrant garlicky sauce, intertwined with whole grain pasta.
This mouthful of a description catches only a glimpse of the actual flavor of Tuscan Chicken Pasta.
This traditional Italian dish has a whopping 53 grams of proteins per serving and is garnished with spinach and sun dried tomatoes.
Get the recipe at: Matt’s Fit Chef
Protein Packed Thai Pasta Salad
This Thai Pasta Salad may not contain the highest amount of protein, but it’s certainly worth giving a shot.
It’s rich in fiber and vitamins courtesy of the carrots, cabbage, cucumber and scallions.
The main sources of protein for the salad are the garbanzo bean rotini pasta and peanut butter sauce.
The lack of dairy or meat product makes this recipe ideal for a vegan diet.
Get the recipe at: Counts Of The Netherworld
High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
Okay, okay, this sauce isn’t exactly what you’d call a whole recipe, but you can easily incorporate it into any pasta dish you like.
You can use it with linguini, penne, fusilli or even with lasagna sheets if you’re creative enough.
The sauce itself is made with cottage cheese and skim milk which makes it a healthier take on Alfredo sauce.
Get the recipe at: The Salty Marshmallow
High Protein Hamburger Helper
This odd-sounding dish is surprisingly comforting and has a deep flavor that you simply must try.
Especially if you’re feeling tired of eating the same old Italian inspired pasta dishes.
High Protein Hamburger Helper is essentially a stew made from ground beef, short pasta and sharp cheddar.
It’s seasoned with ground mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and oregano for additional flavor which are all excellent seasonings for pasta with ground beef.
Get the recipe at: Peanut Butter And Fitness
Chicken Pasta Primavera
This chicken pasta recipe is well deserving of its name. It’s loaded with spring vegetables, chicken breast and a ton of cheese.
All of this translates into a high protein dish that packs 30 grams of protein per serving.
The pasta that’s used here is farfalle or bow tie pasta. If for some reason you can’t get your hands on farfalle, you can sub it with fusilli.
Get the recipe at: Skinny Taste
Casarecce Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli
Casarece is a traditional Italian dish that’s prepared with short twists of pasta and a variety of veggies and protein.
This particular recipe is made with sun dried tomatoes, broccoli and a bunch of mild Italian sausage.
A single serving contains 24 grams of protein which isn’t that much, but will still help you hit your macros.
Whipping it also doesn’t require much effort or time as you simply need to saute the vegetables and sausage.
Get the recipe at: Flavorfulife
Tuna Tomato Pasta Bake
This Tuna Pasta Bake is a spin-off of the classic tuna noodle casserole.
It takes things up a notch by cooking the tuna in tomato sauce along with fresh carrots, pepper and spinach.
The mix of different veggies gives it an amazing color that compliments its rich hearty flavor.
Get the recipe at: Walder Wellness
Vegan Spinach High Protein Lasagna
This Vegan Spinach Lasagna is jam-packed with plant based protein and bursting with exciting flavors.
It features overlapping layers of red lentil marinara sauce and cashew-tofu ricotta, which are topped off with vegan mozzarella and spinach.
Believe it or not, a single serving of this vegan lasagna has a whopping 28 grams of protein per serving.
Get the recipe at: Delish Knowledge
Cheesy Mushroom Spinach Beef Pasta
Savory mushrooms swimming in a rich creamy sauce along with spinach and a hefty amount of ground beef and egg noodles.
This Cheesy Mushroom Beef Pasta really hits all the right boxes when it comes to taste, nutrition and presentation.
And all of this requires a surprisingly low effort to achieve. As long as you know how to saute vegetables and ground beef, you’ll be able to pull it off.
Get the recipe at: Ambitious Kitchen
Creamy Tuscan Salmon
The name of this recipe may sound like an expensive dinner served at a fancy Italian restaurant, but it’s far from it.
However, it’s packed with a ton of protein and has a rich flavor that compensates its lacking presentation.
In order to make this dish, you’ll need to saute some salmon filets and serve them over a bed of linguini and a creamy sauce with cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.
Get the recipe at: Cuisine And Travel
Wrapping Up
You don’t need to use any fancy or expensive ingredients in order to make a great pasta dish that’s packed with protein.
There are plenty of creative ways you can turn a bunch of simple ingredients into a high protein pasta meal.
In general, the most important choice you’ll need to make is what type of protein to use.
And if you’re into high-protein meals in general I recommend also checking out my recipe for Pancake Mix Pancakes With Protein Powder which you can prepare for your next breakfast!
