5 Pasta Dishes For The College Student Who Lives Alone

These pasta dishes are my absolute favorites to make when I want an easy, satisfying dinner. As someone who lived alone during senior year of college, I understand cooking for one can be HARD. Most recipes are made for at least two people, so there’s always plenty of leftovers, and eating the same meal for the entire week is so not appealing.

These pasta recipes are delicious, filling, and just enough for one person with a little leftover for dinner or lunch the next day. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

1. Orecchiette With Sausage and Arugula

This pasta dish is one of my favorite recipes to make when I want something simple but absolutely delicious. It’s cheap and easy but doesn’t taste that way. The flavors are so satisfying, and it’s not too heavy so it’s a great recipe for any season.

You can whip this up in just 15 minutes, which leaves you with plenty of time to study or catch up on Grey’s Anatomy. Don’t forget to add a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, or dried cranberries for an added crunch and boost of flavor!

2. Pasta With Pepper And Cheese

This one is a no tools required pasta recipe which can be made in only 10 minutes. I love this dish for when I just can’t deal with anything cooking related because it’s incredibly easy. Sometimes after a long day of classes, the last thing you want to worry about is anything food-related.

You probably already have all the ingredients at home for this pasta dish so no need to run to the store. It’s also easy to modify if you’re in the mood for something more complicated. Just like your favorite outfit, you can dress it up or down!

3. Chicken Alfredo

If you love one-pot pasta as much as I do (so simple! Barely any cleanup!) you will absolutely love this pasta dish. This is pure comfort food, so it’s great for those days when you feel a little lonely and just want to feed your feelings with food.

I love this in the winter after running around campus all day and sweating it out at the gym- it feeds the soul. An added bonus to this delicious pasta dish is you can switch up the sauces so if you’re stuck in a cooking rut this recipe is all you need!

4. Bucatini Puttanesca

This pasta dish is perfect for summer nights when sweating it out over the stove sounds like absolute hell. It’s got plenty of garlic and delicious tomatoes for a bright flavor and manages to be healthy without tasting like health food. This dish can easily be made in small batches, but you’ll probably want to cook extra because it’s just that good!

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If you want to impress your friends, whip up a big batch of this and invite them over to share a good meal over a bottle of wine and the latest episode of Big Little Lies.

5. Lemon Orzo Shrimp

A fabulous pasta dish to make when you want something hearty with very little clean up afterward. I love to make this during exam week, or those times when I’m really craving something heavy but not complicated.

I like this the best with shrimp, but you can switch it up by adding shredded chicken! This recipe is intended for a family, so scale it back to a reasonable proportion depending on how hungry you are. I recommend adding a bit more shrimp than the recipe calls for- there’s nothing worse than not enough protein! It also makes for great leftovers- I even like it cold!