You shouldn’t have to choose between feeding your family and paying the electric bill, but here we are. Ground beef is running over $6 a pound at my local stores right now, and chicken isn’t much better. When protein became a luxury item, I started looking at my pantry differently.
These 20 pasta dinners each cost under $10 to make, and they’re not sad bowls of plain noodles. They’re actual meals your family will eat without complaint. When my kids were young and my budget was tight, pasta saved us more times than I can count. Not because it was cheap, though that helped. Because it was flexible enough to stretch whatever I had on hand into something that felt like a real dinner instead of a desperate backup plan.
You’ll find One-Pot Garlic Butter Pasta with Spinach that costs about $6 total and dirties exactly one pan. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio uses five ingredients you probably already have and tastes like you tried harder than you did. Sheet Pan Baked Ziti feeds six people for $8 and makes your house smell like an Italian grandmother lives there. Penne with Tuna and Peas turns two cans from your pantry into something comforting enough that nobody asks where the meat is.
These recipes assume you’re tired, you’re counting dollars, and you still want to sit down to something good.
1. One-Pot Garlic Butter Pasta with Spinach
For about $6 total, you get a complete meal that dirties exactly one pan. I picked up a pound of spaghetti for $1.50, butter costs around $4, and a bag of frozen spinach goes for about $2. This feeds four people for about $1.50 per serving. Boil the pasta, drain it, but save a cup of pasta water, then toss everything in the same pot with minced garlic and a good chunk of butter. The pasta water makes it creamy without any cream. Add a handful of parmesan if you’ve got it, but it’s honestly great without. Cook time is 15 minutes total, plus 5 minutes of stirring at the end.
2. Penne Arrabbiata
A pound of penne will set you back $1.50, a can of crushed tomatoes costs about $1.50, and you’ll use olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes you probably have. The whole thing comes in around $4 and feeds four people. Heat olive oil with sliced garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant, add the tomatoes, and simmer for 15 minutes while the pasta cooks. Toss everything together, and you’re done. Takes 20 minutes total with maybe 5 minutes of actual prep. The spicy tomato sauce is bold enough that nobody misses the meat.
3. Sheet Pan Baked Ziti
You’ll pay about $8 total for this one that feeds six people. Grab a pound of ziti for $1.50, a jar of marinara for around $2, and a container of ricotta for about $4. Mix cooked pasta with sauce and dollops of ricotta, spread on a sheet pan, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. The sheet pan method means fewer dishes than traditional baked ziti. Uncover for the last 5 minutes if you want the edges crispy. Prep takes 10 minutes, baking takes 30. Add frozen spinach to sneak in vegetables without anyone noticing.
4. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
This Italian classic costs under $4 and tastes like you spent way more effort. All you need is pasta, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. The pasta is priced at $1.50, a head of garlic costs maybe 50 cents, and you’ll use about a quarter cup of olive oil from what you already have. Cook the pasta, then toss it with olive oil that you’ve heated with sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. The whole thing takes 15 minutes from start to finish. Serves four for under a dollar per person. Save some pasta water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.
5. Penne with Tuna and Peas
Two cans from your pantry turn boring pasta into something your family will request again. I spend around $7 total: penne costs $1.50, two cans of tuna run about $3, frozen peas are maybe $2, and you’ll use butter and garlic you probably have. Cook the pasta, drain it, then stir in the drained tuna, peas, melted butter, and minced garlic. The peas heat through from the hot pasta. Takes 20 minutes total and feeds four people. Try it with a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. It’s basically fancy tuna casserole without the casserole dish.
6. Creamy Tomato Shells with White Beans
At my usual stores, this costs about $6.50 for four servings. Shell pasta goes for $1.50, a can of white beans costs around $1.50, tomato sauce is about $2, and you’ll need a splash of milk or cream. Cook the shells according to package directions while you heat the sauce with the drained beans. Stir in about a quarter cup of milk to make it creamy. The whole thing takes 20 minutes. Prep time is basically just opening cans. White beans add protein and make it filling without meat. Add Italian seasoning if you have it, but plain works fine too.
7. Buttered Noodles with Fried Eggs
When everyone’s hangry, and you need food now, this costs under $5 and takes 12 minutes. A pound of egg noodles is priced at about $2, eggs are roughly $5 a dozen, but you’ll only use four, and butter, you probably have. Boil the noodles, toss with butter and salt, and top each bowl with a fried egg. The runny yolk becomes the sauce when you break it. Feeds four people for about $1.25 each. Add frozen vegetables if you’re feeling ambitious, but it’s perfect as-is.
8. Pasta e Fagioli Skillet
This Italian soup-turned-pasta-dish costs around $8 and feeds six people. You’ll need pasta for $1.50, two cans of beans for about $3, a can of diced tomatoes for $1.50, and chicken broth for maybe $2. Brown some onion and garlic if you have them, add everything else, and simmer until the pasta cooks right in the broth, about 25 minutes. The starch from the pasta thickens everything naturally. Prep takes 5 minutes, cooking takes 30. Use whatever small pasta shape you’ve got.
9. Lemon Butter Linguine with Broccoli
For under $7 total, you get a bright, fresh-tasting meal even though everything came from boxes and bags. Linguine costs about $1.50, a bag of frozen broccoli goes for $2, butter is maybe $4 for a stick, and you’ll need one lemon for under a dollar. Cook pasta and broccoli together in the same pot for the last 5 minutes, drain, then toss with melted butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest. The whole thing comes in around $1.75 per serving for four people. Takes 20 minutes start to finish.
10. Chili Mac
Ground beef is over $6 a pound these days, but you only need half a pound for this. Add pasta for $1.50, a can of kidney beans for about $1, and tomato sauce for $2. Everything together runs about $9 for six servings. Brown the beef, add the sauce and beans, then stir in cooked elbow macaroni. The pasta soaks up all the chili flavor. Takes 25 minutes total with 10 minutes of active prep. Top with shredded cheese if your budget has room. This stretches expensive ground beef way further than burgers would.
11. Cacio e Pepe
Three ingredients shouldn’t taste this good, but here we are. Pasta costs $1.50, parmesan is priced at about $4 for a wedge, and black pepper you already have. The whole thing costs under $6 and feeds four people. Cook pasta, save lots of pasta water, then toss the hot pasta with grated parmesan and tons of black pepper, adding pasta water until it’s creamy. The trick is that the pasta water emulsifies the cheese. Takes 15 minutes and feels like restaurant food. Use the real parmesan from the fancy cheese section, not the shaker kind, or it’ll get grainy.
12. Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Italian sausage goes on sale for around $4 a pound, and you’ll use half. Add pasta for $1.50, a bell pepper for $1.50, an onion for under a dollar, and a jar of sauce for $2. Everything together costs about $9 and feeds six people. Slice and brown the sausage, sauté the peppers and onions, add sauce, then toss with cooked pasta. The sausage is already seasoned, so you don’t need to add much else. Takes 30 minutes, including prep time. This reheats great for lunches the next day.
13. Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
My grandkids think these are fancy, and they have no idea the whole batch costs under $10. Jumbo shells cost about $2, ricotta goes for $4, frozen spinach is around $2, and sauce costs maybe $2. Cook shells, mix ricotta with thawed and squeezed-dry spinach, stuff the shells, pour sauce over, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Prep takes 20 minutes, but it’s mostly just spooning filling into shells. Make extra and freeze half before baking for a future lazy night. Add an egg to the ricotta mixture if you want them to hold together better.
14. Garlic Parmesan Orzo
Kids think orzo is special because it looks different from regular pasta. A box costs about $2, butter is priced at $4, and Parmesan is maybe $4. You’ll use half of each, so call it $5 total for four servings. Cook the orzo in chicken broth instead of water if you have it, drain, then stir in butter, garlic, and parmesan until creamy. Takes 15 minutes total with maybe 5 minutes of active cooking. Prep is just mincing garlic. This works as a side dish too when you’ve got leftover rotisserie chicken to stretch into another meal.
15. Pasta Puttanesca
This Italian dish sounds fancy but costs under $8 for four people. You’ll need pasta for $1.50, a can of tomatoes for about $1.50, a small can of olives for $2, capers for around $3, and garlic and red pepper flakes you probably have. Sauté garlic, add tomatoes, olives, and capers, and simmer for 15 minutes while the pasta cooks. The salty, briny sauce is bold enough that you don’t miss meat at all. Takes 25 minutes total. The capers seem expensive, but the jar lasts forever in the fridge. Skip them if you need to stay under budget and just use extra olives.
16. Bow Ties with Browned Butter and Mizithra
Your kitchen smells like a restaurant when you brown butter, and this whole dish totals about $7. Bow tie pasta will set you back $1.50, a stick of butter you’ll brown costs maybe $1.50, and mizithra cheese goes for about $4 at most grocery stores (parmesan works too if you can’t find it). Cook the pasta while you melt butter in a pan until it turns golden and smells nutty, about 5 minutes of watching it carefully. Toss everything together and grate cheese on top. Feeds four people in 20 minutes flat. Don’t walk away from the pan or the butter will burn.
17. Weeknight Hamburger Helper (The Homemade Version)
Box mixes cost $2 and taste like cardboard, so make this instead for about $8. You’ll spend around $3.50 for half a pound of ground beef, $1.50 for elbow macaroni, $2 for milk, and maybe $1 for cheese. Brown the beef, add uncooked pasta, milk, water, and whatever seasonings you’ve got, then simmer covered for 12 minutes until the pasta soaks up the liquid. Stir in shredded cheese at the end. The whole thing takes 20 minutes and feeds four people. Use whatever pasta shape you have on hand.
18. Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Store-bought gnocchi feels fancy, but potato gnocchi costs about $3 for a package that feeds four people. Add butter for maybe $2 and fresh sage for under $2, and you’ve got a $7 meal that looks like you tried. Boil the gnocchi until they float (takes 3 minutes), then pan-fry them in butter with torn sage leaves until everything’s golden. You end up with crispy edges that are addictive. Takes 15 minutes total with barely any prep. Skip the sage if you need to and just do garlic butter instead.
19. Bacon Carbonara
This rich, satisfying dish comes together quickly for under $9. Spaghetti is priced at $1.50, bacon costs about $5 for a package, eggs you probably have (you’ll need 3), and parmesan is maybe $3. Fry the bacon, cook the pasta, then toss hot pasta with beaten eggs, bacon, and cheese. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs into a creamy sauce. Takes 20 minutes and feeds four people. Use the pasta water to thin the sauce if it gets clumpy, about a quarter cup at a time.
20. Baked Ravioli Casserole
When you’re too tired to stand at the stove, this is the answer. Frozen ravioli on sale goes for about $4 for a bag, a jar of marinara costs $2, and mozzarella is maybe $3.50. Layer it all in a baking dish like lasagna without the work, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F for 35 minutes. The whole batch totals around $9.50 and feeds six people. Prep takes literally 5 minutes of opening packages and dumping. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the cheese gets bubbly.
You Can Make Dinner Tonight
You shouldn’t have to feel guilty about feeding your family pasta three nights this week. The electric bill still needs paying, and ground beef is still $6 a pound. These meals acknowledge both of those facts without making you feel bad about either one.
Start with One-Pot Garlic Butter Pasta with Spinach if you’re too tired to face a sink full of dishes. Try Sheet Pan Baked Ziti when you need something that feeds a crowd for $8 and makes everyone think you put in more effort than you did. Make Cacio e Pepe on nights when the pantry looks bare, but you still want something that tastes intentional. Every single one of these costs under $10, and not one of them tastes like you’re struggling. You’re feeding your family real food on a tight budget, and that’s something to feel genuinely proud of.