The 15 Best Keto Pasta Recipes

Pasta is so versatile that you can have it with almost anything, and it will make the meal better. It’s subtle taste and soft texture give it the ability to pair different cuisines from all over the world.

But, there is one crucial caveat to mention. The most popular pasta varieties are so carb-dense that they should not be eaten on the low-carb diet and ketogenic diet.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have your favorite pasta recipes when you are cutting carbs. There are plenty of keto pasta recipes — like zucchini, eggplant, shirataki noodles, and homemade keto pasta — that will provide you a delicious and healthy way to eat pasta on the keto diet.

Although they don’t have the same texture or taste as traditional types of pasta, they still will give you the perfect delivery mechanism for the flavors of your favorite pasta dishes. You may even begin to like keto pasta dishes more so than the traditional pasta dishes that they emulate — especially when you try these 15 low carb pasta recipes.

Below, you’ll find a list of each individual pasta and some information behind the health benefits of the recipe.

Low Carb Pasta a la Carbonara

Let’s start off this list with a unique keto pasta recipe that imitates many of the aspects of traditional pasta better than shirataki, zucchini, and eggplant noodles. This pasta variation tastes like whole wheat pasta while being slightly crisp (al dente) on the outside, and perfectly soft on the inside.

The secret to making this keto-friendly pasta is in combining cream cheese and psyllium husk fiber in the way that I describe in my cookbook. The psyllium husk fiber is what adds that whole wheat taste and feel to this keto pasta, while the cream cheese helps provide some extra flavor and structure.

keto pasta recipe: Low Carb Pasta a la Carbonara

Furthermore, these ingredients will go above and beyond traditional pasta ingredients by giving you a healthy amount of fiber, fats, minerals, and fat-soluble vitamins as well.

The psyllium husk fiber, in particular, provides you with one of the best sources of soluble fiber, which will help improve your bowel movements, feed friendly gut bacteria, and lower your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The cream cheese will provide you with fats, like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), that help improve metabolic health along with vitamins D and K2, which will help improve overall health remarkably.

However, these health benefits of this keto pasta aren’t even the best part. They can be paired with any of the sauces and ingredients that you find on this list, so your pasta craving will never be left unsatisfied. However, we do suggest you start by making this carbonara recipe first so that you can get the hang using these keto noodles before experimenting with other keto recipes.

See How To Make It

Bolognese Zoodle Bake

Bolognese is a deliciously savory combination of beef and pasta sauce that makes an ideal keto meal. However, eating it without the pasta just doesn’t do the trick. Luckily, this sauce goes amazingly well with zucchini noodles.

At first, you may think that zucchini is the last thing you would want with bolognese sauce, but when you spiralize it and bake it, you’ll never want wheat-based pasta again.

keto friendly pasta: Bolognese Zoodle Bake

Plus, this keto pasta recipe gives you the perfect excuse to sneak more vegetables into your diet.

Zucchini, in particular, is one of the healthiest low-carb vegetables you can have on the ketogenic diet. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which are vitally important antioxidants that promote eye health and reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Zucchini is also an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral that plays a vital role in cardiovascular health because of its vasodilating properties. In other words, potassium helps your blood vessels relax to allow blood to flow more freely, reducing your risk of stroke and hypertension.

Keep in mind that all of this is only depicting what the zucchini does for your body. The beef, tomato sauce, and other veggies, herbs, and spices in this keto recipe also have many health-promoting properties that will steer your health in the right direction as well.

See How To Make It

Eggplant and Bacon Alfredo

Still not a fan of zucchini noodles after trying the last recipe? Try eggplant noodles instead. Their spongy texture is perfect for soaking up sauce and fat without becoming too watery or too greasy.

In this keto recipe, the eggplant noodles will be soaking up all of the creamy and garlicky goodness, providing you with every alfredo flavor in each bite. In addition, you’ll be nourishing your body with benefits of eggplant as well.

 

Click to see the recipe for Eggplant and Bacon Alfredo

While eggplants don’t have an overwhelming supply of any one nutrient, they do contain an impressive variety of many vitamins and minerals that you might not be getting enough of on the ketogenic diets.

Studies on eggplants have also found that they are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. One of the phenolic compounds most commonly found in all eggplant varieties is chlorogenic acid, which has been found to have anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, and LDL cholesterol lowering properties.  When you combine this phytonutrient with the plant compound, called allicin, that you’ll be getting from the garlic in the alfredo sauce, you’ll have a keto pasta recipe that enhances your health while simultaneously helping you lose weight.

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Keto Mug Lasagna

Cheese, zucchini, and tomato sauce are all you need to make your own personal low-carb lasagna. The best part about this recipe, in my opinion, is the cheese.

The whole milk ricotta cheese and mozzarella give the lasagna the creamy and melty texture that so many of us crave. On top of that, they give our bodies the nutrients that they desire as well.

keto pasta sauce & Mug Lasagna

With the calcium, protein, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins A, D, and K that you will get from the cheese in this keto lasagna, you will be able to build stronger bones, muscles, and teeth and improve your cardiovascular health at the same time. Studies have also found that the micronutrients in cheese may help boost weight loss as well.

Feel free to add more cheese to the lasagna if you need a way to get more healthy fats and protein into your keto diet. You can also use bolognese sauce rather than Rao’s tomato sauce to increase the protein and fat content of the lasagna as well.

See How To Make It

Zucchini Ribbons & Avocado Walnut Pesto

Pesto combines many of the flavors that you won’t get from tomato sauce. This keto pesto recipe features lemon, garlic, avocado, basil, and walnuts — not all of the typical pesto ingredients, but they make for a deliciously creamy and keto-friendly pesto sauce.

With this recipe, you will also be able to reap the benefits of walnuts, one of the healthiest nuts when it comes to antioxidant activity and disease prevention.

Click to see the recipe for Zucchini Ribbons with Avocado Walnut Pesto

Also, the avocados in this recipe will provide you with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that you don’t commonly get a lot of on the keto diet. On top of all that, you will be getting an ample serving of basil with its potent anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and adaptogenic properties as well.

Altogether, this keto pesto pasta recipe is one of the healthiest recipes on this list. Feel free to add some cheese or Italian sausage to make it even more delicious.

See How To Make It

Keto Chicken Pad Thai

Thai food is a flavor journey your palate may love. Unfortunately, most Thai dishes are carb-based. So, what can you do if you want to try some Thai while you are on the ketogenic diet? Make it yourself by using shirataki noodles instead of rice or wheat-based ramen noodles.

In fact, by using the shirataki noodles, you can make this dish even healthier without missing out on any of your favorite Thai flavors.

Click to see the recipe for Chicken Pad Thai

This is because the shirataki noodles have virtually zero calories and are packed with glucomannan, a soluble fiber that helps increase satiety and decrease blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

You’ll also get many health benefits from the ingredients that provide the unique Thai flavors as well. The garlic and green onions, for example, contain a compound called allicin. Allicin has been found to activate anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities throughout the body that protects us from brain damage and disease. On top of that, you will reap the benefits of eating chicken, eggs, and mung bean sprouts, which are all excellent sources of b-vitamins, essential minerals, and protein.

With all of these healthy ingredients, it is hard to tell what is more profound in this keto pad thai dish — the flavor or the health-promoting benefits.

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Creamy Crab Zucchini Casserole

This crab zucchini casserole recipe is like crab dip in casserole form with a zucchini noodle base. Think of it as being sort of like a seafood alfredo with seasonings that go really well with crab meat.

Even if you are not a fan of seafood, you should still consider trying this keto pasta recipe because it will help you meet your protein needs without having to eat so many calories that you gain weight.

Click to see the recipe for Creamy Crab Zucchini Casserole

This is because most of the calories in crab meat come from protein (with a minuscule amount of carbs and fat).

This keto pasta recipe also comes with three forms of vegetables from the allium family (green onion, garlic, and onion). In other words, you’ll be getting plenty of allicin, which will help improve cholesterol levels, heal the brain, and reduce the risk of cancer.

Overall, the combination of crab, spices, vegetables, and high-fat dairy in this dish make for a deliciously healthy way for you to get more seafood and vegetables in your diet while you satisfy your pasta craving.

See How To Make It

Keto Pumpkin Carbonara

With the combination of pancetta and sage in this low-carb pasta recipe, your palate will be gifted with different levels of flavor while the pumpkin adds a creamy texture with a hint of sweetness.

This dish tastes so good that it is one of my favorite ways to prepare shirataki noodles. The best part is that this pasta recipe comes with many health benefits as well.

Click to see the recipe for Keto Pumpkin Carbonara

The pumpkin puree alone will meet your daily needs for vitamin A — a vitamin that is essential for skin, bone, and eye health. On top of that, the cheese, butter, heavy cream, and egg yolks will provide you with dozens of essential nutrients that almost everyone needs more of.  Altogether, this recipe is packed with unique flavors and health benefits that you will rarely find in other keto recipes.

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Chicken Tender Lazone

Some people love a little smoky flavor with their meat. If you are one of those people, then this low-carb pasta recipe is for you. Smoked paprika is the secret ingredient here that will give the chicken tenders a subtle smokey flavor, while simultaneously boosting the vitamin A and antioxidant levels of the whole meal.

However, the highlight of this meal from a health perspective is the chicken. Although it is commonly praised for being low in fat and high in complete protein, this is not the main reason why I always try to include chicken in my keto diet.

Click to see the recipe for Chicken Tender Lazone

Every piece of chicken is rich in B vitamins, potassium, selenium, zinc, and creatine. You may know of creatine as a bodybuilding supplement that builds muscle and power, but what you may not know is that it is essential for mental health and cognitive function as well. In fact, recent research indicates that creatine may be a vital nutrient that is needed to prevent and treat depression and other mental health disorders.

Now you can see why meat consumption can be healthy, especially in the context of a whole food keto diet. And this Low-carb Chicken Tender Lazone is one of the best ways to get the health benefits of meat with minimal downsides.

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Vegan Sesame Tofu and Eggplant

Although meat does confer some valuable nutrients and health-promoting compounds, it is best to consume meat in moderation.

Having too much muscle meat, in particular, will cause an imbalance in amino acids (e.g., having too much methionine and too little glycine) that can impair your body’s ability heal inflammation and detox itself.

Click to see the recipe for Vegan Sesame Tofu and Eggplant

Eating pounds and pounds of conventional meat every day also contributes to animal suffering and climate change to a much higher degree than eating dairy, eggs, and vegetables. For these reasons, many meat eaters have started reducing their meat consumption by having one or two vegan days a week or having meat with one meal per day.

Eating in this way also provides you with a good excuse to have more of the plant-based foods that you wouldn’t usually eat, like the ones you will find in this vegan and keto-friendly low carb noodle recipe. Instead of meat, you’ll be getting your protein from tofu, which is also a great source of minerals like iron, calcium, manganese, selenium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper,  and zinc.

You’ll also be getting the benefits of sesame seeds as well. Sesame seeds offer the highest amount of phytosterols of all nuts and seeds. Phytosterols are important because they decrease blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer.

The sesame seeds also provide this dish with a nutty, almost peanut-like flavor, giving your palate a much-needed change of pace from all of the tomato, cheese, and cream-based sauces that are often used on the keto diet. Plus, the fact that you’ll be helping prevent climate change and animal suffering to a small degree with this keto meal makes it that much more enjoyable.

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Keto Tuna Casserole

This keto casserole is a quick and easy way to get some healthy fats, protein, vegetables, and mushrooms into your diet. Plus, you will be able to satisfy your craving for a low-carb pasta dish at the same time.

Although there isn’t anything particularly exciting about this recipe when it comes to flavor, the health benefits of this casserole are unmatched.

Click to see the recipe for Keto Tuna Casserole

This is mainly due to the mushrooms that you’ll be using in this recipe — mushrooms that will provide you with unique antioxidants and uncommon plant fibers that support many aspects of health. For example, their cell walls are made up of beta-glucan fibers, which stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells, increase your feeling of fullness after a meal, and help optimize cholesterol levels.

If you choose to use shirataki noodles with this keto pasta recipe, then you’ll add even more health-promoting plant fibers to your meal, which will improve your cholesterol levels and increase your satiety even more.

In other words, this casserole is the perfect option for you if you are looking to feel full without having to overeat and gain weight. Feel free to use zucchini or eggplant noodles instead of shirataki to increase your vegetable intake as well.

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Keto Spaghetti alla Carbonara

You can’t go wrong with a thick and creamy keto carbonara. The bacon, garlic, and parmesan play together wonderfully on your taste buds with their complimentary flavors and textures. It will be so good that you’ll forget that it’s low-carb.

The secret to this creamy pasta sauce is the eggs. They add another dimension to this dish that is rarely found in other pasta recipes — but that’s not all.

keto spaghetti

The eggs will help fulfill your body’s needs for nutrients like protein, vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, vitamin D, vitamin A, fat, and choline as well. There is also scientific evidence that eggs contain other biologically active compounds that may have a role in the therapy and prevention of chronic and infectious diseases. For these reasons, eggs are regarded by many health specialists as one of the only foods deserving of the title “superfood.”

Just make sure you follow this recipe step by step and pay close attention to detail. It is all too easy to add the eggs when the other ingredients are too hot, which will scramble the eggs rather than thicken the carbonara.

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Thai Chicken Zoodles

This keto Thai noodle dish is a bit different from the low-carb pad thai recipe that we talked about earlier. Here we use zucchini noodles instead of shirataki noodles, and some of the Thai flavors are brought out by curry powder, oyster sauce, and red chilies rather than fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and sambal oelek.

This Thai dish is also peanut free, making it perfect for anyone who has a peanut allergy or doesn’t like that taste of peanuts.

Click to see the recipe for Thai Chicken Zoodles

My favorite ingredient in this low-carb pasta is the curry powder. Just a half teaspoon is all you need to add a full body of ethnic flavor to the dish. Curry powder is typically made up of a collection of spices like cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves — all of which have potent effects in the body. For example, many of these spices have been found to help prevent cancer, protect against heart disease, reduce Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, ease pain and inflammation, boost bone health, protect the immune system from bacterial infections, and increase the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body.

One caveat, however, is that curry powder is known to have anticoagulant properties, so people who take blood thinners or have bleeding disorders should be mindful when adding curry powder to their diet.

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Hatch Chile Casserole

If you are looking for a low-carb pasta recipe with bold flavors and a little bit of spice, then this is exactly what you want. The combination of hatch green chile cream sauce, shredded rotisserie chicken, and pepper jack cheese will have your taste buds singing for more.

After you finish the meal, your cells will carry on the song with glee — especially your immune, stomach, and cardiovascular cells.

Click to see the recipe for Hatch Chile Casserole

This is because the green chiles in the cream sauce exert a variety of positive effects throughout the body including:

  • Decreasing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
  • Stimulating blood flow through the membranes, causing mucus secretion to become thinner. This action helps combat the common cold and sinus infections.
  • Acting as a digestive and anti-ulcer aid.

In other words, spice is nice because of its flavor and its health benefits — and this keto pasta casserole is one of the healthiest ways to get more of this spiciness in your diet.

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Keto Crispy Sesame Beef

When I first started keto, my heart broke after I realized how unhealthy and carb-dense my favorite Chinese food dishes are.

The noodles, the rice, and the fried breading all were so delicious, but, at the same time, they were taking away from my health and well-being. Because of this, I gave up on Chinese food — at least until I figured out how simple it is to make low-carb versions of my favorite dishes.

Click to see the recipe for Crispy Sesame Beef

Take this Keto Crispy sesame Beef dish for example. Instead of noodles, we use deliciously crunchy and subtle daikon radish with its multitude of health benefits for the digestive system, immune system, and respiratory system. Instead of using sugar to sweeten the sauce, we use liquid stevia with its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and blood sugar lowering properties.

To provide the beef the crispy texture that we all love, we use a sprinkle of fiber-rich coconut flour and guar gum instead of unhealthy, processed flour. All of these keto substitutions come together deliciously with the spices, herbs, vegetables, oils, and sauces that bring the crunchy beef and daikon noodles to life.

Altogether, this keto crispy sesame beef is what Americanized Chinese food should be. Instead of making you feel crappy and hungry within the hour, this keto recipe will leave you feeling full and energized until your next meal.

See How To Make It

How To Meet Your Macros with These Keto Pasta Recipes

The most important part of the keto diet is eating the right amount of fat and protein. Just because these pasta recipes are all low-carb and keto-friendly does not mean that they will fit into your daily protein, fat, and calorie needs perfectly. However, there are a couple of ways to customize these keto pasta recipes so that they will.

If you’d like to add more fat to your pasta meal, then you can:

  • Add high-fat meats like chopped up pepperoni or bacon on top
  • Add extra high fat cheese like cream cheese, high-fat cheddar, or mascarpone cheese
  • Melt butter or coconut oil on top (depending on the flavor of the dish)
  • Have a small side salad with leafy greens, olive oil, and vinegar (or one of our keto salad dressings).

If you’d like to add more fat and protein, then you can:

  • Add more of your favorite meats. Aim to buy the highest fat version of the meat that you can find.
  • Use more cheese than the recipe calls for. Buy the highest fat version of the cheese that you can find.

Not sure how many calories from fat, carbs, and protein you should eat every day? Plug your current information into our keto calculator to find out how much you need to eat to meet your goals. To help you keep track of what you eat, I recommend using a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal. If you need help setting it up for keto, follow our guide — it will help you get started and answer many of your questions.

Putting It All Together — The Top 15 Keto Friendly Pasta Recipes

With the help of spiralizers and keto-friendly foods, you can make a healthy low-carb version of virtually any pasta recipe you’d like. Instead of using grain-based pre-packaged pasta, you’ll be using zucchini, eggplant, shirataki noodles, daikon, or the homemade keto pasta recipe in this cookbook. Just top these low-carb pasta variations off with your favorite keto-friendly sauces, spices, and ingredients, and you are good to go.

To get you started, here is are the links to the 15 keto pasta recipes from this article:

Feel free to use whatever keto pasta variation that you prefer with these recipes. Just because it calls for zucchini or shirataki noodles doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to use that ingredient. Experiment with the different keto-friendly options to figure out what works best for you.

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