20 Easy Acid Reflux-Friendly Pasta Recipes (2024)

Easy acid reflux-friendly pasta recipes will give you quick lunch and dinner ideas that are filling, reasonably healthy, and don’t trigger GERD symptoms.

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When you have a new diet-related medical diagnosis, it’s easy to get hung up on all of the foods that you can’t eat. Adjusting to a new diet is tough, even when you know that it’s for the best. Having new recipes in your rotation with familiar ingredients that you love, such as pasta, will make it easier to stick to the new diet.

You’ll find lightened-up, dairy-free versions of popular pasta dishes, such as carbonara, alfredo, primavera, and Cacio e Pepe as well as stuffed shells, Pad Thai, one-pot pasta, and more.

Disclaimer: I am not a physician. I’m a life-long acid reflux sufferer. I’ve been treating it actively through medication, diet, and lifestyle changes my entire adult life. I cite a handful of medical resources in this post. All of the other information that I’m sharing here pertaining to acid reflux is based on my own personal experience. If you have any questions about your diet or any other elements of your GERD treatment, please consult a physician.

The best and worst foods for acid reflux

As I put together acid reflux-friendly pasta recipes, I concentrated on the best foods for GERD symptoms, being careful to steer clear of the most common triggers as much as possible.

The best foods for soothing acid reflux symptoms include green vegetables, root vegetables, whole grains, meat and seafood, healthy fats, eggs, non-citrus fruits, fennel, ginger, and herbal tea.

The most common triggers for acid reflux include tomatoes, chocolate, greasy foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, alcohol, caffeine, mint, and carbonated beverages.

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I’ve put together a free printable reference sheet with the best and worst foods for acid reflux. Keep it on hand in the kitchen to help you plan meals and combat reflux flares.

[Download your FREE printable acid reflux foods reference sheet!]

Eating-related tips to further minimize symptoms

Creating an acid reflux-friendly diet will significantly reduce your GERD symptoms. Generally, you’ll have the highest level of success with eliminating your symptoms when you pair an acid reflux-friendly diet with a few simple eating tips.

  • Eat slowly
  • Eat smaller meals
  • Wait a minimum of two hours to lie down following eating
  • Don’t eat the last two or three hours before you go to bed
  • Steer clear of caffeine and alcohol, particularly in the evening

Additional lifestyle tips to minimize symptoms

The following lifestyle advice will help you reduce your acid reflux symptoms even further.

  • Avoid tight clothing and high-waisted pants, dresses, and skirts
  • Add another pillow to your bed to help you eliminate symptoms while sleeping
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Take an antacid
  • Avoid peppermint- and mint-flavored gum
  • Quit smoking

The importance of identifying triggers

For most acid reflux sufferers, there are a few key foods and lifestyle adaptations that will make the most difference for overall gut health. When you’re able to pinpoint these triggers and get rid of them effectively, most likely, you won’t have to adopt other acid reflux management tactics. For example, if your biggest food triggers are tomatoes and spicy foods, don’t worry as much about avoiding mint and chocolate.

Keep a food diary for a minimum of one week, noting the following information:

  • Food you eat
  • Time of day you eat
  • Symptoms you experience

This information will help you make important adjustments to your diet and eating schedule for optimal acid reflux management.

[Acid reflux sources – 1 | 2 | 3]

A few notes and substitution ideas for the easy acid reflux-friendly pasta recipes

If you’ve spent any time searching for pasta recipes, you know that it’s virtually impossible to find dishes without tomatoes, cheese, garlic, and onions, all of which are huge reflux triggers. I’ve worked very hard to find recipes with as few of these ingredients as possible. However, you may see one of them pop up occasionally, especially garlic, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. The good news is that there are easy, acid reflux-friendly substitutes for these ingredients.

  • Garlic. There are two easy substitutions for fresh garlic that are much less triggering for GERD: garlic powder and garlic-infused olive oil. It’s best to add garlic powder during the cooking process. You can use garlic-infused olive oil during the cooking process or immediately afterward to finish a dish with a little garlic flavor. If even garlic powder is triggering, swap in a milder spice, such as Mrs. Dash or season salt.
  • Ricotta. There are a few recipes in this post with ricotta cheese. Kite Hill makes a great dairy-free ricotta cheese that is readily available in major grocery stores.
  • Parmesan cheese. If you’re avoiding dairy products altogether, dairy-free vegan Parmesan cheese is a great option for pasta dishes.

Additionally, I know that there is a lot of debate about whether or not gluten aggravates GERD symptoms. [Source] If you do find that gluten aggravates your symptoms, use gluten-free pasta. Most major grocery stores carry multiple varieties, and there are lots of places to purchase it online.

Finally, when I say “easy” recipe, I mean a recipe that can be prepared in one hour or less with ingredients that are easy to find at major grocery stores. If there are elements of a recipe that require more time, in virtually every instance, you can complete that prep in advance, such as roasting vegetables or making a sauce.

Easy acid reflux-friendly pasta recipes

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1. Tomato-less red sauce

I don’t think that I need to explain that one of the most difficult aspects of eating pasta with GERD is avoiding tomatoes, including tomato sauce. Everyday Allergen-Free’s nomato (tomato-less) red sauce will change your life. If you eat tomato sauce often, prepping this red sauce will quickly become part of your weekly routine, so you always have it on hand.

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2. Cacio e Pepe

Pretty Delicious Life’s Cacio e Pepe couldn’t be simpler or more delicious. The ingredient list is very straightforward, and it’s easy to make a few swaps for a gluten-free, dairy-free dish. You’ll never get tired of creamy, flavorful Cacio e Pepe.

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3. Creamy spinach and ricotta pasta with walnuts

My Gut Feeling’s creamy spinach and ricotta pasta with walnuts has such a classic flavor pairing with spinach and ricotta, finished with walnuts to add even more flavor and texture. If you want to make this dish dairy-free, look for Kite Hill brand ricotta.

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4. Butternut squash stuffed shells

It’s All Good Vegan’s butternut squash stuffed shells are the ultimate fall comfort food. The recipe includes directions for vegan ricotta using tofu. Simply leave out the lemon juice if it’s a trigger for you.

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5. Chicken alfredo

My Gut Feeling’s chicken alfredo is a lightened-up version of the timeless recipe without heavy cream. The perfectly seasoned grilled chicken pairs perfectly with the creamy noodles.

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6. Creamy spinach pasta

Gluten-Free Stories’ creamy spinach pasta contains just five ingredients and only takes 20 minutes, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknights. Simply use lactose-free or vegan cheese options to make this recipe dairy-free.

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7. Pad Thai

A Balanced Belly’s pad Thai has all of the flavor that you want in pad Thai without any dairy. If you’ve missed ordering this popular dish in restaurants, you’ll love being able to make it at home now. Simply omit the lime slices and swap in garlic powder for the fresh garlic.

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8. One-pot zucchini mushroom pasta

One-pot pasta is such a fantastic concept. I love being able to cook pasta and vegetables all in a single pot for easy clean-up. For Damn Delicious’s one-pot zucchini mushroom pasta, swap in garlic powder for fresh garlic, use dairy-free Parmesan, and use dairy-free heavy cream or swap in any dairy-free milk of your choosing. Many reviewers recommend reducing the amount of pasta, so there’s a better pasta to veggies ratio, and boosting the flavor slightly by adding chicken bouillon and other spices, such as onion powder. There are so many ways to modify this recipe while still keeping your gut happy.

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9. Creamy pasta with ham

Slimming Eat’s creamy pasta with ham is so simple and satisfying, making for an easy lunch or dinner. The recipe calls for quark, which is all but impossible to find in the United States. You can use homemade quark or substitute a creamy cheese or dairy-free alternative of your choosing.

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10. Pasta pesto with chicken

Karlijn’s Kitchen’s pasta pesto with chicken is such a classic dish and is surprisingly easy to adapt for acid reflux sufferers. I recommend making your own pesto with garlic-infused olive oil and no lemon juice.

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11. Creamy mushroom pasta

The Conscious Plant Kitchen’s creamy mushroom pasta has all of the decadence of traditional creamy pasta without dairy. It features a vegan cashew cream sauce, which is so easy to make. The only adaptation that you’ll need to make here is omitting the lemon juice from the sauce.

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12. Spaghetti carbonara

Once you’ve made spaghetti carbonara at home, you’ll be shocked at how easy it is to create a restaurant-worthy version right in your own kitchen. Gluten-Free Cup of Tea’s spaghetti carbonara is everything that you want in this classic dish. You can substitute dairy-free Parmesan if needed.

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13. Pasta primavera

FODMAP Everyday’s pasta primavera is made in one pan and loaded with vegetables and fresh herbs. It’s such an easy recipe to customize with vegetables that are in season right now or simply what you have on hand at any given time. Omit the lemon juice if it’s a trigger for you.

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14. Ground turkey skillet pasta

Dizzy, Busy, and Hungry’s ground turkey skillet pasta is one of those easy weeknight dinners that you’ll turn to time and time again because it’s so simple and the whole family loves it. Any ground meat works well here. Swap in dairy-free Parmesan if needed.

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15. Pumpkin pasta

Pumpkin pasta is another ideal fall comfort food. Gluten-Free Stories’ pumpkin pasta is just nine ingredients and takes only 15 minutes to make. Swap in garlic-infused olive oil and lactose-free dairy products as needed.

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16. Asian pasta and spinach salad

Allergy Awesomeness’s Asian pasta and spinach salad is a spinach salad and pasta salad all in one dish, finished with an easy Asian dressing. There is so much crunch and flavor here, and you don’t need to make any adaptations.

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17. Avocado tahini pasta

Avocado and tahini is such a fabulous flavor pairing for creamy, healthy pasta. Vegan Yack Attack’s avocado tahini pasta is so easy and flavorful. Omit the tomatoes and lemon juice.

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18. Carbonara pasta with yogurt, asparagus, and peas

Feed Me Phoebe’s carbonara pasta with yogurt, asparagus, and peas is a lightened-up version of the classic dish loaded with vegetables. Swap in dairy-free products as needed.

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19. Hamburger macaroni

Eat Beautiful’s hamburger macaroni is a one-pot meal that comes together in 30 minutes and makes great leftovers. Simply omit the garlic or substitute garlic powder. There is so much flavor in this comforting dish. You won’t miss the cheese or tomatoes that you usually find in this recipe at all.

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20. Roasted red pepper pasta

Fun Without FODMAPS’ roasted red pepper pasta is an ideal way to enjoy pasta with a flavorful red sauce without the trigger you get from tomato sauce. The dish is great as is or can be filled out with shrimp or chicken.

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FAQs

What kind of pasta is ok for acid reflux? ›

However, high-fiber pasta such as whole wheat pasta should be prioritized, since high-fiber foods are known to decrease symptoms of GERD. Those with GERD should avoid acidic and creamy pasta sauces like tomato and carbonara sauce. Instead, you can pair whole-grain pasta with a roasted red pepper or spinach pesto sauce.

What Italian food can I eat with GERD? ›

Italian/Mediterranean-

Veal or chicken in light mushroom sauce and vegetables without garlic or too much olive oil. You can also choose risotto or polenta dishes made with vegetables (no butter and cheese).

Is alfredo sauce ok for acid reflux? ›

If you're eating Italian, the biggest troublemaker will be tomatoes. Try switching to an Alfredo sauce instead of tomato sauce on your pasta. But be careful, because Alfredo sauce is high in fat (and possibly garlic), so keep the portions small. Also, avoid foods with lots of cheese.

What can I put on pasta for gastritis? ›

Tailoring Easy Healthy Acid Reflux-Friendly Pasta Recipes

Here's how to adapt: Garlic: Opt for garlic powder or garlic-infused olive oil. If these are still problematic, spices like Mrs. Dash or seasoned salt can be your go-to.

Can I eat lasagna with acid reflux? ›

Tomatoes and tomato products (tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice) can trigger heartburn. Foods that combine several heartburn offenders, such as pizza (tomato sauce and fatty cheese) or lasagna (tomato sauce, cheese, and meat) can be particularly problematic for people prone to heartburn.

Can you eat spaghetti sauce with GERD? ›

Classic or spicy marinara sauces over pasta can be triggers for GERD symptoms, too. Citrus fruits and chocolate are highly acidic, meaning you should also avoid these if you've been diagnosed with GERD.

What is the best dinner for GERD? ›

Good foods to eat for dinner to avoid heartburn include leafy greens, non-citrus fruits, ginger, oatmeal, healthy fats, seafood and aloe vera juice.

Can I eat a grilled chicken sandwich with GERD? ›

Lean Poultry: Low-fat meats like chicken and turkey are good to reduce acid reflux when grilled, broiled, or baked – NOT fried. Avocado: Despite being high in fat, avocados are rich in healthy fats, which can settle your stomach and prevent acid reflux symptoms.

What sandwich is good for acid reflux? ›

FILLERS: try to stick to meats lower in fat, such as chicken, turkey, ham or roast beef. Buy meats that haven't gone through a lot of processing. For example, avoid smoked or cured meats, as these can often trigger heartburn; the meat is often spiced or glazed with honey or sugar.

What sauce can I use if I have GERD? ›

Low-acid Tomato Sauce - This recipe may be safe for some with GERD symptoms. From Cooking to Reduce the Burn. Mushroom Jus (Mushroom Gravy) - No specific GERD triggers. Sauce Royale - No specific GERD triggers.

Can I eat Subway with acid reflux? ›

Subway Ham, Turkey or Roast Beef Sub, six inch.

Put on as many toppings as you can manage. Hold the hot peppers, tomato and onion. You may need to go lightly on the dressing/sauce as these are often full of spices and vinegar. Oh these look so good but they are a sure to trigger heartburn in most teens with reflux.

What pasta can I eat with GERD? ›

Tomatoes are high in acid and over-consumption could lead to heartburn or indigestion. One of the main alternatives to a tomato-based pasta is a pesto pasta. Pesto sauce includes a pine nut base and is often mixed with fresh ingredients like basil, olive oil, garlic, and salt.

Is there a low acid spaghetti sauce? ›

Papa Vince Pasta Tomato Sauce: Low Acid Garlic-Free Formula, Low Sodium, No Onion No Added Sugars. Non-GMO Gluten Free.

Can I eat ramen noodles with acid reflux? ›

Many GERD patients are more likely to experience a perceived reflux event when they eat some fatty, spicy, salty foods, and meals with high carbohydrate content. Ramen noodles, hot spicy stews, and topokki are typically spicy and salty Korean traditional foods. Rice cake and bread contain high carbohydrate nutrients.

Are mashed potatoes good for acid reflux? ›

Be on the lookout for fat lurking in otherwise innocent foods. While plain mashed potatoes are usually a safe food for GERD sufferers, many holiday cooks swear by their own recipe that packs in butter, sour cream, cream cheese, or other secret ingredient that's likely full of flavor -- as well as fat.

What foods heal an inflamed esophagus? ›

Esophagitis diet includes soft vegetables and vegetables, dairy products (provided you are not allergic to milk), cereals and crackers. While eating, chewing food completely, having small bites and swallowing slowly will also help with the pain.

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