15 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Fresh, In-Season Produce

Delicious pasta ideas using tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, corn, herbs, and more.

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Published on May 30, 2023

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Creamy Corn-and-Spinach Pasta — Photo:
Johnny Miller

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.

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Penne alla Norma

Panne alla Norma

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.

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Campanelle with Zucchini and Mint

Bryan Gardner

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.

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Croxetti with Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes

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.

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Orecchiette with Sausage, Corn, and Chiles

msl-food-entertaining-whats-for-dinner-noodles-orecchiette-md110135.jpg

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.

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Gnocchi with Sausage, Zucchini, and Tomato

Gnocchi with Sausage, Zucchini, and Tomato — Linda Xiao

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.

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Pasta with No-Cook Puttanesca Sauce

Fresh Cherry-Tomato Pasta Puttanesca — Marcus Nilsson

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.

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Rotelle with Onions, Cucumbers, and Herbs

msl-food-entertaining-whats-for-dinner-noodles-rotelle-md110135.jpg

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.

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Penne with Tomatoes and Parsley Breadcrumbs

msl-food-entertaining-whats-for-dinner-noodles-penne-md110135.jpg — Johnny Miller

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.

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Creamy Corn-and-Spinach Pasta

Creamy Corn-and-Spinach Pasta — Johnny Miller

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.

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No-Cook Tomato-Tuna Sauce with Spaghetti

spaghetti and no-cook tomato-tuna sauce topped with basil leaves — Con Poulos

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.

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Eggplant and Roasted-Pepper Pasta

eggplant-and-roasted-pepper-pasta-0617-102980698 — Christopher Testani

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.

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Zucchini Ribbon "Lasagna"

zucchini lasagna

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.

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Grilled Ratatouille Pasta

JOHNNY MILER

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.

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One-Pot Penne with Zucchini and Parmesan

Aaron Dyer

Shredding zucchini with a box grater yields small pieces that almost dissolve when tossed with hot pasta, olive oil, Parmesan, and minced garlic.

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No-Bake Summer Lasagna

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.

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