Rich, creamy Kielbasa Pasta with broccoli has been one of the highlights at our dinner table lately. With such a simple list of ingredients and incredible flavors that come together in no time at all, it’s sure to make multiple appearances at your table, too.

I love to fill out our pasta dishes with plenty of vegetables (see our one-pot jambalaya pasta as an example), so there is almost as much broccoli on display here as there is pasta. Add some hearty sausage and sharp, crumbly cheese on top, and you’ve got a weeknight meal with something for everyone.

Kielbasa Pasta

Many years ago, we had a dinner tradition called “not-eat foods”. Each of my boys was allowed to choose one food which they could skip tasting, if it was part of dinner that night. For several years, my eldest son chose broccoli as his not-eat food.

So when this pasta was a huge hit with ALL of my family, I knew I’d found a new dinner staple. My eldest went back for seconds, and even thirds! It makes me grin to watch my son who normally dislikes broccoli eat every single saucy broccoli bite.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The Pasta –

Consider this Peanut Butter Ramen (a 15 minute recipe) the next obsession because it is crazy delicious and SO EASY! Peanut Butter Ramen is a simple noodle dish packed with peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, and loads of curly ramen. And it’s ready in 15 minutes!

If you are obsessed with our Korean Beef and Noodles, you’ll love this budget-friendly and easy ramen recipe!

It all started with our Chinese Ramen Oriental Salad recipe and now we can’t stop finding new and quick recipes for your busy schedule. By far this is our best ramen recipe to date!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ready in 15 minutes: Perfect for busy nights when you need something fast and satisfying.

Big flavor, simple ingredients: Pantry staples like peanut butter, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce come together for an incredible sauce.

Creamy, savory, and slightly sweet: Every bite is rich, balanced, and totally mouth-watering.

Budget-friendly: Made with inexpensive ramen noodles but tastes like takeout.

Easy to customize: Add your favorite protein or veggies to make it your own.

Better than takeout: Quick, fresh, and made right at home.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ramen Noodles: Quick-cooking noodles that soak up all that rich peanut sauce perfectly.

For the Sauce

• Peanut Butter: The star of the dish…creamy, nutty, and rich.
• Water: Thins the sauce so it coats the noodles smoothly.
• Sweet Chili Sauce: Adds sweetness with a mild kick.
• Soy Sauce: Brings salty, umami depth.
• Olive Oil: Adds richness and helps create a silky sauce.
• White Vinegar: Brightens everything with a little tang.
• Fresh Ginger: Adds warmth and a mild spicy bite.
• Green Onions: Fresh and slightly sharp for contrast.
• Cilantro: Fresh, bright, and slightly citrusy, it adds a pop of flavor and color to finish the dish.
• Salted Roasted Peanuts: Crunchy texture and extra peanut flavor.
• Sesame Seeds: A nutty finishing touch.

How to Make Peanut Butter Ramen

1. Cook the Noodles: Cook the ramen noodles according

I changed one ingredient and ended up making the gooiest Cheesy Summer Zucchini Pasta that might be better than Mac N Cheese!

By the middle of summer, our garden is producing more zucchini than we know what to do with. Our cheesy zucchini pasta recipe is full of caramelized zucchini, toasted pine nuts and the creamiest mozzarella cheese sauce ever!! What’s my secret ingredient?

Secret to A Gooey Cheese Sauce

While I love zucchini bread as much as anyone, sometimes I just want savory ways to use my zucchini, and this is my new favorite!

Tender zucchini and yellow squash are slowly cooked until they’re golden and sweet, then tossed with cavatappi pasta in a creamy whipped cottage cheese sauce! It’s fresh enough for summer but delicious enough to make all year long.

This recipe was inspired by the flavors in our summer zucchini chowder. With garlic, herbs, fresh basil, parmesan, mozzarella, and toasted pine nuts this is an easy pasta dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Fresh summer vegetables and a handful of simple pantry staples come together to create a pasta that’s rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

Zucchini

• Zucchini and Yellow Squash: Using both green zucchini and yellow squash adds beautiful color and slightly different flavors, but you can use all zucchini if that’s what you have.
• Trader Joe’s Aglio Olio Seasoning: Adds savory flavor with almost no effort. Trader Joe’s Aglio Olio seasoning is our favorite, but any garlic herb blend works well.

Pasta

• Cavatappi Pasta: Those corkscrew shapes catch all the creamy sauce in every bite. Rotini, fusilli, penne, or shells are great substitutes.

Sauce

• Better Than Bouillon Chicken: Adds extra savory flavor to the pasta water,

Creamy ranch dressing meets crisp vegetables and tender bites of pasta in this Ranch Pasta Salad. It’s a cool, easy dinner to beat the heat, and with a total prep and cook time of 20 minutes, it’s my kind of summer meal.

This simple pasta salad has already been made several times this summer, especially when I’ve happened to have several of the ingredients already prepped. (If you happen to have some homemade ranch salad dressing already, you can substitute half cup of ranch dressing for the dressing ingredients listed below, making this meal even easier to pull together!)

Ranch Pasta Salad

Pasta salads have been frequent favorites on our dinner table for years now. They’re hearty enough to be a meal on their own, and they also pair well with almost any entree for a heartier meal.

My whole family loves the bacon ranch pasta salad that I’ve been making for years now. It is a seriously hearty pasta salad – definitely a meal on its own. But for this salad, I wanted that ranch flavor we love, but I wanted to keep the salad a bit lighter and fill it with crunchy fresh vegetables.

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This Mexican street corn pasta salad takes everything you love about elote—sweet corn, creamy dressing, tangy cheese, and bold spices—and turns it into an easy, crowd-pleasing pasta salad.

This easy Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe is perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, or an easy make-ahead side dish.

What is Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad?

Mexican street corn pasta salad is inspired by elote, a popular Mexican street food made with grilled corn, creamy sauce, cheese, lime, and spices. You all loved our Mexican street grilled corn salad so we added some pasta for a hearty, flavorful side dish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Packed with bold Mexican street corn flavor
• Creamy, tangy, and slightly smoky
• Perfect for BBQs and potlucks
• Easy to make ahead
• Great as a side or a light main dish

Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

• Corn (grilled or roasted): sweet, smoky flavor (the star!)
  • TIP: Most grocery stores sell roasted corn in the freezer section which is a great shortcut!
• Butter: adds richness and helps bring out the natural sweetness of the corn
• Salt: enhances the flavor of the corn and the overall dish
• Pasta (ditalini or similar): hearty base that holds the dressing well
• Cotija Cheese: adds a salty, crumbly bite that’s classic for elote
• Avocados: add a creamy texture and fresh flavor
• Cilantro: adds a bright, herby finish
• Red Onion: adds a sharp bite and a little crunch

For the Dressing:

• Mayonnaise or Mexican Crema: adds a creamy base that coats everything evenly
• Sour Cream: adds tanginess and balances the richness
• Chili Powder: adds a mild smoky flavor and a hint of spice
• Cumin: adds warm, earthy flavor
• Lime Zest & Juice: adds brightness and a fresh citrusy kick
• Garlic: adds bold, savory depth
• Salt + Pepper: enhances and balances all the flavors