3 easy pasta dishes like that viral TikTok recipe you can make this week.

Once for Gen-Z’s to earnestly lip-sync to pop songs and millennials to feel embarrassingly out of touch, Tik-Tok and Instagram reels are now hubs for every niche and hobby you can, quite literally, point a finger at.

Naturally, ‘life-hack’ videos, especially food-related guides, have taken off. Aesthetically pleasing dishes that can be captured within the 60-second format (remember the whipped coffee trend?) are popping up all over social media.

The latest recipe to go viral is Baked Feta Pasta, which quickly racked up over 300 million views and caused grocery stores to sell out of feta cheese. We tried it and can confirm - it’s bloody delicious.

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But while it’s a significant step up from instant ramen or takeaway pizza, baked cheese and pasta every night isn’t going to cut it in the nutrition department. 

So if a night in cooking is more your speed than learning a choreographed dance routine, here are three super easy vegetarian pasta dishes that will add a bit of variety to your carb repertoire.

Homemade Pesto Pasta

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
• 1 packet of pasta

Image: Supplied.

1. Roast the pine nuts in the oven for 5 mins.

2. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.

3. Blend the basil, pine nuts, cheese and garlic together in a food processor. Scrape down the sides and add the oil and salt, and blend until smooth.

4. Add some oil to a pan, and once it’s heated, throw your cherry tomatoes in whole. Toss them in the pan until they’re slightly cooked.

5. Drain your pasta and put it back in in the pot, then mix in your pesto and tomatoes. Serve!

Image: Supplied

Mediterranean Olive Oil Pasta

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 packet of thin spaghetti

Image: Supplied

1. Follow package instructions to cook about half the spaghetti pasta to al dente (not quite completely cooked).

2. Heat the oil in a pot or skillet over medium heat. Lower the heat and add garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 seconds, stirring regularly. Stir in the parsley and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes until soft.

3. When the pasta is ready, remove from heat, drain cooking water and return to its cooking pot. Mix in the oil mixture, add black pepper and toss to coat.

4. Add the olives and feta and toss one more time, then serve.

Image: Supplied

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• A few handfuls of mushrooms, sliced
• Salt
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 3/4 cups cooking cream
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• Pepper
• 1 packet of spaghetti

Image: Supplied.

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot or pan. Throw in the mushrooms and cook until brown and crispy.

2. Reduce heat and add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until they’re translucent and softened, about 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.

4. Using tongs, transfer pasta to the pot with mushrooms and add cream and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

5. Remove pot from heat. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, butter, ½ oz. Parmesan, and lots of pepper and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed, then serve.

Image: Supplied

Et Voila! Enjoy!

Read more:

• “I tried the internet’s most viral pasta recipe. Here’s how it went.”
• Here's how to make Chrissy Teigen's spicy carbonara.
• SAM WOOD: Five of my favourite easy family dinners, from chicken paella to veggie pasta bake.

Feature Image: Supplied.