Kid-Friendly Pasta Recipes That Will Make Them Smile and Clean Their Plates

Family dinner on a weeknight should be nutritious, delicious, and, most important, easy to make. That can be a tall order, so when it comes to Wednesday noshing, who are you gonna call? The answer is pasta: It cooks quickly and pleases the palates of persnickety youngsters. See our favorite pasta recipes to satisfy small-fry hunger.

Lighter Three-Cheese Mac

Mask a few green good guys in everyone's favorite pasta dish -- beneath all the cheese, the broccoli is definitely in disguise. Neufchatel cheese and reduced-fat milk make this recipe a little lighter, but no less tasty, than the classic. 

Chop this pasta-filled frittata into kid-size bites, and they'll devour the whole cheesy thing, no coddling required.

Cauliflower and chickpeas give this dish toothsome value while ricotta rounds out the creamy kid-friendly appeal. 

Twice as good? Yes, we think so -- this flavor-packed baked pasta recipe makes two meals. One for now and one to freeze and reheat for a super-fast weeknight dinner.

Some nights, it's best to go with a blockbuster. Simmer the meatballs right in the sauce, and this particular crowd-pleaser takes only 30 minutes to get to the table. 

Wide, flat pappardelle are silky and delicious -- cook the broken noodles in homemade tomato sauce, and you'll have this vegetarian meal together in just 15 minutes. 

Who wants fettuccine alfredo when our version, creamy with  protein-rich white beans, is on offer?

Thick slices of this cheesy, rich baked pasta are a handy way to get kids to eat vitamin-rich spinach. 

Short bow ties (fusilli) are always a hit with kids. Add in crowd-pleasing peas and some peppery arugula. You may find you have a secret arugula fiend at your table.

Buttery-sweet caramelized onions are perfect for developing palates -- top with salty Parmesan for contrast. 

Orange-hued winter squash mixed with Parmesan cheese makes a delicious and nutritious sauce -- and this dinner casserole looks just like the familiar shells with cheddar.

Switch things up for lovers of spaghetti and meatballs with this mean, green (and cook-time lean!) pasta. Whole-wheat linguine have a subtly different taste from its regular semolina counterpart, but in this hearty pesto-and-sausage pairing, the kids won't even notice.