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et’s be actual—summer season doesn’t all the time include construction. Sooner or later, you’re on a productiveness kick; the subsequent, you’re absolutely in rest mode. And on these slower days, dinner won’t be high of thoughts. That’s the place these summer season pasta recipes are available. They’re recent, straightforward to throw collectively, and excellent for each laid-back lunches and spontaneous weeknight dinners. Bonus: They’re additionally assured to be crowd-pleasers.
Pasta is a staple in my kitchen regardless of the season—however when the temps rise, I gravitate towards recipes that really feel gentle and brilliant. Assume citrusy dressings, herbaceous toppings, and easy olive oil sauces. These summer season pasta recipes are scrumptious on their very own or paired together with your favourite protein for a extra filling meal. Nevertheless you serve them, they’ll turn out to be your go-to for straightforward summer season eating.
18 Summer season Pasta Recipes to Brighten Up Your Desk
These days, I’ve been reflecting on how briskly the season flies by. If we don’t find time for the little joys—sundown dinners, spontaneous picnics, lingering meals with associates—they will simply slip away. And for me, one of many easiest methods to savor the second is with a ravishing bowl of pasta. These summer season pasta recipes have fun the season’s recent flavors and embrace a slower, extra intentional tempo.
Burst Tomato Pasta
With solely 5 substances, it’s stunning in its elegant simplicity. That is all the time the dish I flip to once I do not know what to make for a cocktail party (and my friends are solely minutes away). It’s actually a lifesaver and a pasta dish I’ll have on repeat all through the summer season and past.
Ratatouille-Fashion Roasted Vegetable Pasta
This roasted vegetable pasta is impressed by ratatouille. Eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic prepare dinner collectively on one sheet pan and get tossed with rigatoni for a easy, satisfying supper.
Tomato Pasta with Miso
Tomatoes and garlic are two of the primary taste parts on this 5-ingredient dish. Roast them slowly in tons of olive oil. The tomatoes will turn out to be succulent and delicate whereas the garlic will get caramelized and candy. In different phrases, completely addicting.
Easy Zucchini Rigatoni
Aka “what to do together with your farmer’s market haul.” Candy caramelized squash, aromatic herbs, and nutty parmesan make this easy summer season pasta completely addictive.
Spaghetti alla Nerano
If you happen to be taught something from Stanley Tucci on Looking for Italy, it’s that the emphasis on easy substances handled properly make for magical experiences—aka, this pasta.
Summer season Pasta Salad
Caramelized grilled veggies meet swirly pasta. That is the kind of pasta salad you’ll wish to have readily available all summer season, and it’s a common crowd-pleaser at barbecues. It’s additionally full of protein, complicated carbohydrates, fiber, and wholesome fat. A win on all fronts.
Lemon is the unsung taste of the summer season, and once I wish to incorporate its zesty tang right into a meal, that is the dish I flip to. There may be a lot to like concerning the crunchy arugula and bacon combo, which highlights the lemon’s candy citrus taste.
Inexperienced Goddess Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is vegan, stuffed with veggies, and completely scrumptious. It’s the simplest solution to get your every day dose of greens whereas having fun with a flavorful lunch or dinner that you simply’ll stroll away from feeling refreshed. Signal me up.
Garlicky Mushroom Pasta with Sausage & Arugula
This recipe solely makes use of a small quantity of Italian sausage to principally mimic a sausage and mushroom pizza (yum), and the sauce is just lemon zest and juice, arugula, parmesan, and just a little butter. I’m declaring it “gentle” as a result of you’ll be able to eat it for lunch with out dragging by way of the remainder of your day or take pleasure in it at dinner with out feeling overly full. No additional questions, please.
Vegan Purple Pepper Pasta with Charred Corn
This vegan predominant is simple to make gluten-free and excellent for summer season. Roasted crimson peppers make a brilliant creamy sauce base and with the addition of charred corn, sautéed summer season squash, and many recent basil, it’s a creamy-dreamy pasta that makes use of up your farmer’s market goodies.
This recipe continues to search out its approach into my rotation, and I’m amazed by its taste each time I make it. The walnut sauce is to die for, the just-burst tomatoes are unparalleled, and the entire dish comes collectively in about quarter-hour. Too good to be true? Make it for your self and discover out.
One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Summer season Veggies & Ricotta
Extra veggies! Significantly, I can’t get sufficient of those summer season pasta recipes that remember the season’s produce. On this case, it’s all about asparagus, broccolini (a private favourite), peas, and cherry tomatoes. All of them come collectively to supply a positively palatable pasta primavera.
Inexperienced Sauce Pasta
All of the veggies your every day, dietary wants ask for in a single scrumptious dish? Signal me up. Whereas I like a superb salad, I’m additionally right here for something that masks spinach’s oftentimes bitter taste with parmesan, olive oil, lemon, and butter. As soon as your youngsters get previous the truth that this dish is a vibrant, verdant inexperienced, they’ll be obsessive about every silky, noodle-y chew.
Pesto Pasta Primavera
This recent summer season pasta by no means fails to fulfill my carb cravings, whereas filling my plate with a great deal of veggies that may be diverse based mostly on what’s in my fridge. Even higher? It comes collectively in a single pan, that means much less time scrubbing dishes and extra time absorbing these lengthy summer season nights.
Rigatoni With Brussels Sprouts, Kale Pesto, and Lemon
Packing within the greens, this kale pesto, Brussels sprouts-studded pasta is loaded with taste and good-for-you substances. Assume walnuts, olives, and many veggies. All coming collectively to ship one heavenly-tasting pasta.
Creamy Lemon Pasta
Creamy might not be on the high of your summer season meals vocabulary, however this pasta defies the foundations and brings a recent method to indulgence. Sure, butter and cream are the inspiration of its sauce (that’s critically ok to drink), however the addition of lemon lightens issues up and makes it appropriate for summer season.
Lemony Pasta Carbonara with Peas & Zucchini
This carbonara is just a little lighter than your conventional pancetta-laden dish, which we’re all about this time of yr. Changing salty meats with peas and zucchini, this creamy vegetarian model is greatest loved al fresco.
For a extra substantial, protein-oriented pasta, look no additional than this garlic shrimp spaghetti. It’s impressed by the Mediterranean food plan and introduces a number of wholesome veggies into the combo. Excellent for a satisfying summer season lunch or dinner that may fill you up with out weighing you down.
This publish was final up to date on Could 31, 2025 to incorporate new insights.