15 Meatless Pasta Recipes for Lent

Though you'll need to start on this recipe an hour and a half before dinner, it takes much less time than the average lasagna — including just 20 minutes of prep work.

When you wait till the last minute to plan your Lenten dinner, you can pull this light, lemony pasta together in a half an hour or less.

Going meatless gives you a reason to pack all the veggies you can into pasta. It calls for asparagus, red bell pepper, tomato, and crimini mushrooms, but home cooks recommend adding zucchini, yellow squash, and even baby carrots.

You won't miss meat when you're noshing on this pasta thanks to the robust flavors of roasted sesame seeds and soy sauce. For a more filling meal, follow the lead of other home cooks and add mushrooms.

"This is a lighter version of pasta carbonara," recipe submitter DEBNJAMES says. "For people who want the flavor but not the bacon, smoked salmon is the perfect substitute!"

No one, not even finicky kids, can resist Shrimp Mac and Cheese. Allrecipes Allstar thedailygourmet chose cooked salad shrimp as they're near the size of elbow macaroni, which may be just what you need to get kids to eat seafood.

Taking the time to stuff manicotti pasta tubes with a cheesy filling (ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan!) will be well worth it. Not convinced? Recipe submitter Anny tells us, "The kids like to help stuff the noodles too!"

Recreate the heartiness of beef stroganoff sans beef with this mushroom-based recipe. Plus, it takes just 30 minutes to make.

You're fasting from meat, not flavor! "It was devoured by my family," home cook Mary Beth Means says. "Everyone said it was better than in the restaurants."

Lentils and mushrooms bulk up tomato sauce for a hearty vegetarian dinner. "This was excellent. It tastes just like ragù alla Bolognese is supposed to taste," Allstar Buckwheat Queen says. "At first, the kids didn't even notice there were lentils instead of meat."

Elevate Friday night dinners with a recipe that tastes like it takes more effort than it actually does. "This is a super fast and easy recipe," recipe submitter Silvia Granger says. "One of my favorites. Even my kids love it."

Reviewers say you can add just about any vegetable in your fridge to our Shrimp Lo Mein with Broccoli, making it an excellent dinner for emptying the fridge. 

Meaty eggplant and buttery-soft buffalo mozzarella (aka burrata) make this dish almost too delicious to be vegetarian.

Cajun-spicy and creamy all at once, this top-rated pasta will give you something to look forward to all Friday. You can also bake it in a casserole dish until the top of it turns golden brown, recipe submitter Star Pooley says.

You'll love this pantry-friendly pasta, which combines two pouches of tuna with elbow macaroni and a jar of marinara sauce. Zucchini and a sprinkle of Parmesan keep it tasting fresh.