Skipping the salt doesn't mean skipping the flavor with these mouthwatering and healthy low-sodium pasta recipes.
Low-Sodium Pasta Recipes for a Hearty, Healthy Meal
Updated on Aug. 19, 2024
While a little salt can enhance the flavor of any pasta dish and provide your body with the electrolytes it needs, eating too much too often isn’t healthy, especially if you’re following a low-sodium or heart-healthy diet. Your favorite restaurant pasta dishes can pack a day’s worth of sodium into one meal, so cooking your favorite restaurant recipes at home and experimenting in the kitchen can be your first defense against high-sodium eating.
Even with home cooking, sodium can quickly add up in recipes. Canned pasta sauces, beans, vegetables and, of course, the salt shaker are common high-sodium culprits. Simple swaps like adding just a pinch of salt to boiling pasta water instead of two tablespoons or choosing low-sodium or no-salt-added foods can help you eat less sodium overall. This includes dressings, beans, vegetables and sauces.
If you’ve been avoiding a low-sodium diet for fear that your food will be bland and dull, don’t worry. Our list of dietitian-reviewed low-sodium pasta recipes pack all the flavor with less sodium so you can enjoy your favorite pasta dinners, side dishes and sauces. Using ingredients like fresh and dried herbs, vegetables and fruits and homemade sauces allows you to control the amount of sodium in your pasta dish. All the recipes included have less than 10% of the recommended daily value of sodium in each serving.
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Pasta with Asparagus
Looking for a quick and delicious meal? Our 20-minute pasta with asparagus is the perfect combination of earthy crunch and zesty spice. Try it today!
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Pepper Ricotta Primavera
Garlic, peppers and herbs top creamy ricotta cheese in this meatless skillet meal you can make in just 20 minutes. —Janet Boulger, Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador
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Spaghetti Salad
We love how easy this spaghetti salad recipe is to prepare in advance. After it sets up in the fridge, it's a hearty, flavorful side dish or entree that's perfect for a crowd.
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Wonton Ravioli
I created this recipe as a quick yet elegant meal. But it works well as an appetizer, too. You can substitute ingredients to your liking.—Jenny Johnson, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
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Pasta Primavera
This pasta primavera is a wonderful blend of crisp, colorful vegetables and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. Simplicity has seldom been so delicious!
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Caprese Pasta Salad
Our Caprese pasta salad is a simple summertime recipe that packs a fresh, flavorful punch.
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Festive Fall Tortellini Toss
Fall is my favorite season and I love the foods of autumn, such as mushrooms, squash, apples and walnuts. I combined these all with pasta to make a delicious side dish perfect for sharing at a potluck; the recipe can easily be doubled and can be served either warm or at room temperature. —Roxanne Chan, Albany, California
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Homemade Pasta
The texture and flavor of fresh pasta are superior to boxed pasta, and the dough is surprisingly easy to make. This homemade pasta recipe only requires a few simple pantry ingredients and a rolling pin (but we'll also show you how to make pasta with a stand mixer).
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Vegan Macaroni Salad
All the classic flavors come through in this vegan macaroni salad, from the pickle relish to the ground mustard. The only thing you'll be missing is leftovers! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Air Fryer Tortellini with Prosciutto
This recipe is my take on Italian street food, and these tortellini are crunchy and gooey. Use the best-quality tomatoes you can find for the sauce—it's so good that you'll want to double it and serve it over pasta. If you don't have an air fryer, you can make these in a deep fryer, an electric skillet or on the stovetop. —Angela Lemoine, Howell, New Jersey
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Cherry Tomato Pasta with Avocado Sauce
Heart-healthy avocado makes this pasta dish feel indulgent without being overly rich. The flavorful sauce is so luscious, you’ll think there is cream hiding in there. It’s guilt-free and dairy-free, but with a texture and consistency that’s similar to traditional cream-based sauces. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland
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Grilled Peach Couscous Salad
You'll feel inspired at the farmers market with the recipe for this couscous salad in tow. Grilled peaches and limes, plus a subtly sweet dressing, bring pizazz. —Emily King, Fayetteville, Arkansas
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Cacio e Pepe
It sounds like a fancy Italian dish, but cacio e pepe is a simple dinner that's easy to make.Low-Sodium Pasta FAQ
Can I eat spaghetti on a low-sodium diet?
Yes! Spaghetti noodles have no or almost no sodium. Buying or making a lower-sodium marinara sauce to pour on top makes for a delicious and comforting low-sodium spaghetti dinner. Be sure not to put too much salt in the boiling water either, which can be a sneaky culprit in the sodium department.
Which store-bought pasta has the least sodium?
Most dry pasta is sodium-free or has only a few milligrams of naturally occurring sodium. Sodium starts to add up in pasta dishes when you add too much salt to the boiling water, or from added seasonings and sauces.
What do I serve with pasta for a low-sodium meal?
Serve your pasta with a low-sodium side dish, like roasted vegetables or a salad, and a protein marinated with fresh herbs, citrus and oil. Salmon and shrimp pair well with angel hair pasta and chicken can be plated over nearly any pasta dish. Just as you would with sauce and noodles, be sure not to oversalt your protein and opt for seasonings (not salt) to flavor the meat.
