3 Speedy Thursday Pasta Recipes That’ll Have Dinner Sorted in 20 Minutes

Thursday has a way of sneaking up on you. The week’s almost done, the energy’s running low, but everyone still needs feeding. Enter pasta – the great weeknight saviour. These three recipes all come together in around 20 minutes with everyday ingredients, so you can have a genuinely satisfying dinner on the table without spending your evening in the kitchen.

1. Garlic Butter Parmesan Pasta
Serves 4 | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

400g spaghetti or linguine
80g butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
1 cup finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add the drained pasta to the pan along with the parmesan and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss continuously until a glossy sauce forms, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen it.
Season with salt and pepper, scatter over the parsley, and serve immediately with extra parmesan.

2. Creamy Tomato and Bacon Pasta
Serves 4 | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

400g penne or fusilli
150g bacon, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
400g can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup thickened cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh basil, to serve

Method

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to packet instructions, then drain.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until golden and crisp. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and oregano, and simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavours come together.
Reduce the heat, stir through the cream and parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.
Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss well to coat. Serve topped with fresh basil.

3. Lemon and Prawn Pasta
Serves 4 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

400g spaghetti or angel hair pasta
500g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional, or extra pasta water)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

Method

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until pink and just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the garlic to the same pan and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine (or a splash of pasta water) and lemon juice, and simmer for 1–2 minutes.
Return the prawns to the pan along with the drained pasta and lemon zest, tossing well to combine, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Season with salt and pepper, scatter over the parsley, and finish with a pinch of chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat.

Whichever one you choose, all three of these come together faster than it takes to decide what to watch afterwards. Keep the ingredients on hand for a genuinely reliable Thursday night dinner solution, any week you need it.