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Deliciously Easy Summer Pasta Recipes
Savor These Easy Summer Pasta Recipes
When the heat is on, you can count on these summer pasta recipes to delight without making you feel stuffed! So whether you and your guests are poolside, seaside, or enjoying sweeping views of the countryside, Public Market has put together a collection of favorite recipes that will satisfy this season.
Not only do these dishes taste fantastic, our featured recipes are easy to prepare and beautiful on the table. From classic Italian to coastal-inspired, these dishes are perfect for any summer gathering or weeknight dinner. Keep scrolling to find your next go-to summer recipe!
When Do You Serve Summer Pasta Recipes?
Let’s start at the beginning. Nothing signals class, skill, and taste like matching your meals to the season. In this section, we’ll help you up your summer pasta game by introducing you to the ingredients that should be on your shopping list.
Our list of summer pasta recipes can make their appearance whenever the weather begins to turn warm. As you may already know, summer pasta dishes are light, refreshing, and loaded with delicious summer veggies. They’re perfect companions to a barbeque, a beach day, or even as a quick and easy dinner recipe on their own. Whenever great friends gather, great food should be part of the story.
When it comes to types of pasta, there are endless options, such as penne, linguine, orzo, ziti, and even angel hair pasta. Some of our personal summer favorites include orecchiette and farfalle because the way they hold onto sauces and vinaigrettes is simply divine. And speaking of sauces, tomato sauce or pesto are great choices to toss your pasta in. Try puttanesca sauce with capers, chiles, and olives for a spicy kick.
But let’s spotlight the star of all these summer pasta dishes – the veggies. Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and squash are all excellent options for your pasta dish. Remember, farmers grabbed what was plentiful and fresh in rural life – there was never a rigid take on what had to be in the dish. In other words, there’s almost no wrong combination for your creation.
Also, feel free to add some green beans, snap peas, or even okra for some unique textures. Another tasty addition is some toasted pine nuts or a sprinkle of feta or goat cheese, and for some extra zing, try adding a squeeze of lemon juice! If you’re looking for a more filling summer pasta dish, go for a pasta primavera with ricotta or ricotta salata or a carbonara with crispy bacon and parmesan cheese.
And if you’re looking for a refreshing pasta salad to bring to a potluck, try an orzo salad with heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and a zesty vinaigrette. Also, we can’t stress enough how much you can get creative with summer pasta recipes. If you love certain fruits or nuts, throw ’em in. And make sure to serve any dish with a refreshing glass of summer wine.
Vegetarian Summer Pasta Recipes
Let’s dig into some mouth-watering summer recipes. We’ll focus on the lightest recipes of them all. Easy to prepare and lovely when served, any of these vegetarian Summer Pasta Recipes can be a go-to dinner recipe this summer. While three summer essentials are listed below, check out this Public Market exclusive from Pamela Salzman, Pasta Alla Checca.
Let’s talk about the classic Penne with Tomato Sauce. It’s a staple pasta recipe that you can never go wrong with. To make it perfect for summer, we add deliciously fresh cherry tomatoes and some zucchini pasta. Combining these summer veggies creates the ultimate pasta dish that even the pickiest eaters will love. You can also add a side of pesto and pine nuts to create nuance and texture.
Next on the list is a Greek-inspired Orzo Salad. This pasta salad is a perfect side dish for any outdoor gathering when another dish is the star of the show – like a fantastic Alaskan Halibut dish. Chop up and mix about two cups of zucchini, bell pepper, snap peas, and okra, giving it a refreshing and flavorsome kick. Top it off with some tangy feta cheese and pitted kalamata olives, and you’ll have a savory summer recipe that will impress even the most reputed food stylist from our team.
Lastly, let’s talk about the exquisite Orecchiette with Summer Vegetables. This dish is undoubtedly a game-changer when it comes to summer pasta recipes. The blend of summer squash and green beans with a shallot and lemon juice mix creates the ultimate symphony of flavors. Add some goat cheese or ricotta salata as a topping, and you will have an impressive summer dinner recipe bursting with flavor. These are just a few of our favorite summer pasta recipes, and we encourage you to dig in and experiment because the possibilities are endless. Whether you prefer linguine, farfalle, ziti, or fettuccine, you can always get creative with the sauces and toppings. Mix and match your favorite ingredients from any of these summer recipes. Your taste buds (and guests) will thank you!
Chicken Summer Pasta Recipes
What if you’re looking to eat something on the lighter side but need to add proteins or just a different flavor profile? Enter the world of chicken summer pasta. These pasta dishes also feature summer vegetables like zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, snap peas, and summer squash and complement poultry really well. To enhance the flavors of these veggies for any dish, toss them in olive oil and either roast them or grill them before adding them to the pasta.
For the pasta itself, we love penne or angel hair pasta but sometimes switch it up with orecchiette or farfalle, depending on the occasion. Purists will argue that cooking the pasta to al dente is better suited to withstanding longer wait times until service at cookouts, potlucks, etc.
As for the star of the show, the chicken should almost always be grilled. You can season chicken breasts in olive oil or salt to keep things simple or marinade them with sweeter balsamic. The most adventurous might want to throw a sprig of rosemary or sage onto the grill to add a savory smoke-infused flavor.
To finish off any summer chicken pasta recipe, add in some pine nuts, capers, and lemon juice (or have lemons wedged and served on the side). Speaking of sides, no chicken pasta dish is complete without some cheese to add variety and depth. So have favorites like mozzarella, goat cheese, or parmesan cheese nearby.
Try this variation: cube some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, and basil to make a Caprese spread that you can put on Crostini with chopped grilled chicken and orzo. Serve up this crunchy salad as an appetizer!
Seafood Summer Pasta Recipes
Postcard images of the Mediterranean Sea come to mind when we think of summer and seafood pasta. No collection of summer pasta recipes would be complete without a section dedicated to these beautiful dishes inspired by coastal life.
For a tried & true favorite, we’d recommend seafood linguine with mussels, clams, shrimp, or squid. The key to this recipe is preparing the seafood just right, which involves cleaning or scrubbing shells, beards, scales, and more. If you’re planning to keep the shells as part of the presentation, cleanliness is essential. Many people are intimidated by preparing seafood in pasta, so we’re thrilled to offer one of our classic favorites:
- In a large skillet or pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic (2-3 cloves), red pepper flakes (about a teaspoon), and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the mixed seafood (about a pound) to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the shrimp turns pink and the mussels and clams open up. Discard any mussels or clams that do not open.
- Reduce the heat to medium and pour in 1/2 a cup of white wine. Let it simmer for a minute or two to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add halved cherry tomatoes (1 cup) to the pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes until they soften.
- Add the cooked linguine pasta (one package) to the pan and toss everything together, allowing the pasta to soak up the flavors. Add a small amount of pasta cooking water to create a sauce-like consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top and give it a final toss.
- Serve the seafood linguine in bowls or on plates, garnished with additional parsley and accompanied by lemon wedges for squeezing over the dish.
What's Your Summer Pasta Story?
With so many summer pasta recipes out there, you’re bound to land on one you love. Whatever you go for, don’t forget to experiment with different pasta shapes like orzo, ziti, or even gnocchi to keep it interesting.
Just like the summer, these dishes are designed to be fun, colorful, and always on the lighter side. These summer pasta recipes will save you time and energy while ensuring you and your family enjoy delicious and satisfying meals. Don’t let the heat of summer get in the way of your love for pasta; give these easy recipes a try and thank us later.
In fact, drop us a line and tell us how your creation was received. We’d love to feature you and your dish right here on Public Market!
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