Giving up meat on Fridays for Lent, which lasts until April 2^nd, means having to look for fresh and fun meatless dishes. Why not give the go-to seafood dish a rest and try making a pasta-based meal to switch things up?

To provide inspiration on different meatless dishes we share three delicious and easy pasta recipes from Barilla. They range from a 5-minute, almost no cooking required, penne pesto pasta with tomatoes to a show-stopping spinach and ricotta lasagne.

Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni with Fresh & Sundried Tomatoes, Black Olives & Toasted Walnuts (above)

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 box Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni

1 clove garlic

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

½ cup black olives, sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to taste.
2. Add pasta to boiling water – for authentic “al dente” pasta boil for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place on sheet tray to cool down.
3. In a blender, combine mustard, red wine vinegar salt, pepper and parsley and puree. Then, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil to make the vinaigrette.
4. In a large bowl combine the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes and olives, season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the pasta and stir to combine.
6. Add toasted walnuts, serve and enjoy!

Barilla Lasagne with Ricotta Cheese & Spinach
Serves: 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients 

1 box Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup onion, diced

2 pounds Ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tablespoons flour

2 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed

3 cups milk, gently warmed

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions 

1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
2. In a large skillet, sweat the onion in olive oil over moderate heat for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add spinach and season with salt and pepper; sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat to cool down.
5. To create ricotta mixture, combine ricotta, spinach, and ¾ cup Parmigiano cheese; season with salt and pepper.
6. To prepare béchamel sauce, melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour, cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add warm milk and bring to a simmer, whisk well so there are no clumps, season with salt and pepper.
8. When the sauce comes up to a simmer cook for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Pan spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
10. On the first layer spread ½ cup béchamel sauce.
11. Top with 4 lasagna sheets, 1 cup ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of Parmigiano cheese.
12. Continue the same procedure for 3 more layers.
13. For the top layer spread remaining béchamel and ricotta mixture, sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese; bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on top.
14. Before slicing the ricotta and spinach lasagna, let it rest for 5 minutes and dig in!

Quick Penne Pesto with Tomatoes

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients
1 pouch Barilla Ready Pasta Penne
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Pine nuts, for garnish
2 tablespoons Barilla Rustic Basil Pesto
½ cup small mozzarella balls
6 fresh basil leaves, shredded

Directions

1. Tear corner of Barilla Ready Pasta Penne pouch to vent.
2. Heat in the microwave for 60 seconds.
3. Combine tomatoes, cheese and pesto in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add pasta to the bowl and toss.
5. Top with basil and pine nuts. Enjoy!