Our favorite summer pasta recipes include sauces you simmer and ones that require no heat at all, dishes that are vegetarian-friendly and ones that will satisfy carnivores. One thing they all have in common: summer produce is front and center. Whether you’ve got a glut of zucchini on your hands, a ton of tomatoes, or an eggplant that you’re just not sure what to do with, we’ve got a summer pasta recipe for you.
This gallery includes some classics, such as pasta alla Norma (hello, eggplant) and Puttanesca, which combines tomatoes (whatever you’ve got: heirloom, beefsteak, cherry) with green olives, capers, and garlic. There are also contenders for new classics, such as a creamy corn and spinach pasta that’s ready in 35 minutes, and a tomato sauce that gets its amazing flavor from a brilliant hands-off step: you toss pieces of tomato with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and let everything sit at room temperature for anywhere from two to eight hours.
And while pesto might be an obvious go-to for using up loads of fresh summer herbs, these recipes are a great reminder of their many additional uses. One dish combines pasta with zucchini, olives, ricotta salata, and fresh mint; another calls for any combination of mint, tarragon, basil, or parsley, along with sweet onions and cucumbers.
01of 15
Penne alla Norma
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/edf_penneallnorma0903-f13862eb33044409a7c7d71835f395a5.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (1)")
Eggplant is sometimes used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes, and this classic Sicilian dish is a great example. The eggplant lends a delightful heft, and when paired with tomatoes, basil, and ricotta cheese, it makes for a delicious and satiating meal.
View Recipe
02of 15
Campanelle with Zucchini and Mint
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/campanella-with-zucchini-and-mint-0099-d112099r_vert-d2b2dc93eb7d4a479f914714a79e3ad1.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (2)")
Here’s a delicious and speedy supper that pulls from Italian and Greek traditions. It calls for mixing toothsome and lightly browned rounds of zucchini with garlic, red-pepper flakes, Kalamata olives, and lemon juice. Together, they make a wonderfully salty and punchy sauce that gets a nice final kick from ricotta salata and mint.
View Recipe
03of 15
Croxetti with Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/croxetti-tomatoes-0811mld107466_vert-587a7b89fba44f5aa4ffef5f88756342.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (3)")
To make this tasty dish, you toss just-boiled pasta with marinated tomatoes, basil, capers, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic-infused olive oil. The warmth from the pasta brings out the flavors of the fresh ingredients. And if you can’t find croxetti, try another flat pasta, such as maltagliati or pappardelle.
View Recipe
04of 15
Orecchiette with Sausage, Corn, and Chiles
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/msl-food-entertaining-whats-for-dinner-noodles-orecchiette-md110135_vert-6696a5cdbe624aba808a4bb2bd7d06b9.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (4)")
Recipes often have you combine orecchiette and sausage with broccoli or cauliflower, but come summer, corn is a fantastic alternative. The pasta’s cup shape holds a kernel or two perfectly. And if you don’t like your pasta spicy, just ease up on the chiles.
View Recipe
05of 15
Gnocchi with Sausage, Zucchini, and Tomato
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/gnocchi-sausage-zucchini-tomato-32H2VrjRqQeAH_swuviI1e-0821-onecms-bc998ebdb0d340d687871d147bdded36.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (5)")
This quick and easy pasta melds the flavor of fresh tomatoes, sausage, zucchini, and gnocchi. Store-bought pesto and pasta water are all that's needed to create a delicious, silky sauce.
View Recipe
06of 15
Pasta with No-Cook Puttanesca Sauce
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/fresh-cherry-tomato-pasta-puttanesca-6277-mn-148-edc6546e791f46e2aed1156ee0d6d356.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (6)")
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a Naples classic made with tomatoes, olive oil, olives, optional anchovies, chili peppers, capers, and garlic. Although the sauce is typically cooked, this recipe uses raw tomatoes—as long as they’re ripe, they’ll be just perfect here.
View Recipe
07of 15
Rotelle with Onions, Cucumbers, and Herbs
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/msl-food-entertaining-whats-for-dinner-noodles-rotelle-md110135_vert-9b031e67d4ef48dd90657896f9af67f8.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (7)")
In addition to sweet onions (such as Vidalia) and English or Persian cucumber, this dish also incorporates loads of fresh herbs. You can use whatever you’ve got, whether mint, tarragon, basil, or parsley–or a mix.
View Recipe
08of 15
Penne with Tomatoes and Parsley Breadcrumbs
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/msl-food-entertaining-whats-for-dinner-noodles-penne-md110135_vert-72cbac96454345dd96a716a393dce6c1.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (8)")
There’s a special step that elevates this pasta dish: leaving the fresh tomato, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to marinate at room temperature for anywhere from two to eight hours. The result is a chunky, intensely-flavored sauce that’s delicious over penne, along with toasted breadcrumbs and shaved ricotta salata or Parmesan.
View Recipe
09of 15
Creamy Corn-and-Spinach Pasta
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/creamy-corn-spinach-pasta-5mkKrB_uqm7B1hK2S0oNki-0622-295afbaf9b3d4281b6a4d15a2120bbad.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (9)")
When corn and spinach are in season, turn to this fast one-pan meal. Both of these ingredients cook in a flash, so in less than 40 minutes, dinner is on the table, its rich taste belying the speed with which you’ve pulled it together.
View Recipe
10of 15
No-Cook Tomato-Tuna Sauce with Spaghetti
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/spaghetti-and-no-cook-tomato-tuna-sauce-95ac0e6b-0820-onecms-e802f73ecfeb4947ae7e72679c40c320.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (10)")
Here’s another recipe where tomatoes and seasonings turn into magic with very little effort. There’s a nice addition, too: oil-packed tuna for a hit of salt and heft.
View Recipe
11of 15
Eggplant and Roasted-Pepper Pasta
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/eggplant-and-roasted-pepper-pasta-0617-102980698-5791b0bfb7ab46e7a7416121af09a8f2.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (11)")
This serve-at-any-temperature pasta dish combines smoky roasted peppers and garlicky sauteed eggplant. It’s especially nice with campanelle or other curly pasta, such as fusilli or farfalle.
View Recipe
12of 15
Zucchini Ribbon "Lasagna"
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/md105566_0410_lasagna2_vert-b07ef355c99c4c1297927c2826520fb7.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (12)")
There’s actually no pasta in this lasagna–instead, strips of zucchini stand in for noodles. Plus, ground turkey takes the place of ground beef, so it’s lighter and healthier than a traditional lasagna.
View Recipe
13of 15
Grilled Ratatouille Pasta
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grilled-ratatouille-pasta-med108678_vert1-b6ab7be7e6604e0ebc764c00b3f8e0e5.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (13)")
Here's a new summer go-to that’s an Italian spin on a well-known French dish. It includes zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, eggplant, and tomatoes, served with curly pasta, such as cavatappi.
View Recipe
14of 15
One-Pot Penne with Zucchini and Parmesan
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/zucchini-pasta-046-d112023_vert-759619122a6f4594bcfe4ed42cb4d690.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (14)")
Shredding zucchini with a box grater yields small pieces that almost dissolve when tossed with hot pasta, olive oil, Parmesan, and minced garlic.
View Recipe
15of 15
No-Bake Summer Lasagna
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/med105604_0610_kasagba_vert-23378f6ccf484cd5b84b6d2a0b1280c9.jpg "15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce (15)")
There’s no oven needed for this summery lasagna. Instead, layer tomato sauce, cooked lasagna noodles, spoonfuls of ricotta, and sauteed zucchini on plates, plus a bit of fresh basil for a zippy garnish.
View Recipe
