When it’s hot out, pasta just needs a lighter touch ~ no-cook sauces, quick pestos, ripe tomatoes, seafood, herbs, and spaghetti salads that feel right for summer.
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Pasta isn’t just cold-weather comfort food. In summer it gets lighter, brighter, and a whole lot more relaxed ~ tossed with ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, seafood, colorful veggies, or sauces that don’t need the stove. These are the summer pasta recipes I want when it’s too hot for anything heavy, but dinner still needs to feel like dinner.
tips for serving pasta in summer
Put away the cans and jars – the secret to enjoying spaghetti in sultry weather is to keep everything fresh, fresh, fresh!
- Thin spaghetti is ideal because it’s nice and light.
- Be sure to cook it al dente so it retains a bite and doesn’t become gummy.
- Spaghetti doesn’t have to be served hot, it works both at room temperature, and chilled.
- Avoid heavy or cream based sauces and stick with lighter olive oil based versions.
- Uncooked or barely cooked sauces like basil pesto and aglio olio are perfect for warm weather.
- Experiment with alternative pesto type sauces like my artichoke lemon pesto or my sun-dried tomato and almond pesto.
- Fresh tomatoes can provide an instant sauce. Juicy regular tomatoes can be diced and used raw (see my alla checca sauce, below) or cherry tomatoes cooked just until they burst (see bucatini with burst tomatoes.)
Giada’s Lemon Spaghetti ~ a no cook sauce!
It’s basically spaghetti tossed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, basil, and Parmesan cheese. The sauce is raw, and all the more vibrant because of it. You don’t want to miss this summer pasta, trust me.
Spaghetti alla checca
Tossing hot spaghetti with cool juicy tomatoes is the best idea ever on a warm night. The tomatoes tamp down the heat of the pasta, their acidity balances the starch, and the little bite from fresh garlic and basil makes this a fabulous summer meal.
No-Cook Mediterranean Pasta Sauce
I’m rediscovering the classic Mediterranean flavors I know and love in this easy summer pasta dinner ~ just grate, toss, and eat!
Spaghetti with Clam Sauce
Can’t you just feel the warm sea breeze? A big bowl of spaghetti with clam sauce is the essence of summer!
Spicy Thai Spaghetti Salad
This salad reminds me that pasta is so versatile. Here it stands in for Thai noodles in the most flavorful salad you’ll have all season. The peanut dressing is a classic, and don’t even get me started on the wonderful contrasting textures.
Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
This unique pesto has a pretty green color and a nice little crunch!
Pesto Pasta with Ricotta and Tomatoes
One of my favorite summer pastas made with creamy ricotta and colorful heirloom cherry tomatoes.
Pasta Peperonata with Tuna
This is my personal favorite light pasta dinner. I pair it with good oil packed tuna, lots of colorful cherry tomatoes and peppers, with a few olives for good measure. A final shower of Parm and this meal makes my night!
Weeknight Peanut Butter Spaghetti
This satisfying spaghetti is a pantry friendly meal you can whip up in 15 minutes ~ the Thai flavors make it so refreshing!
Pasta with Broccolini and Toasted Breadcrumbs
A summer pasta dish from Italy’s “cucina povera” or poor kitchen, which focuses on simple seasonal ingredients with great flavor.
Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes
A vibrant pasta that makes the most of summer produce.
Spaghetti Salad
Everything is so crisp and colorful ~ this is spaghetti like you’ve never had it before. A potluck favorite if there ever was one, and a great way to get kids to eat those veggies.
Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil
This quintessential quickie dinner is great for lazy summer days, and it’s ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Chicken Margherita Pasta
A quick and easy dinner made with classic Italian flavors and a rotisserie chicken. This family pleasing meal with juicy tomatoes, fresh pesto, and creamy mozzarella takes less than 30 minutes!
Spaghetti with Chive and Parsley Pesto
This light herby summer spaghetti recipe proves that basil isn’t the only game in town when it comes to pesto.
Spaghetti with Zucchini Beef Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs lightened up for summer with…what else ~ zucchini! This healthy hearty spaghetti is perfect for al fresco dining.
Spaghetti with Tuna Lemon and Dill
A family from-the-pantry favorite that’s perfect for warm weather ~ we love to use masses of garden fresh dill.
One Pot Farmer’s Market Pasta
This easy one pot pasta method can turn your farmers market haul into dinner, pronto. The starchy water combines with a little Parm to make a creamy sauce.
Quick Chili Oil Spaghetti
Spicy food actually has a cooling effect on the body, so chili oil noodles are a good choice to beat the heat.
Kale and Pancetta Pasta
When life gives you lots of fresh garden kale…make pasta! A little bit of pancetta makes this simple spaghetti extra satisfying.
Hi Sue! I clicked on the link, near the top of the post, for “aglio oilio”, and was told the page no longer exists – try homepage. I tried using the search bar, but got the same result.
Help! Please, and thanks!
Oops! I misspelled “olio” above, though not when I did my search.
That’s because I didn’t title my post aglio olio, it’s pasta with oil and garlic, lol, here.
I made parsley and chives pesto several times. my son and his girlfriend are vegetarians. they totally loved it. couldn’t get enough! last week I visited my daughter’s family in North Carolina and made it for them. my two grandsons ages 7 and 10 kept asking for “green pasta”
Wow, high praise, thanks for the report Yelena! It reminds me of when my girls were little and they loved ‘pink fish’ (salmon!) Color is pretty powerful when it comes to food 🙂
I’ve yet to make this pasta peperonata with tuna but you’ve solved a dilemna for a vegetarian pescatarian dinner to thank someone special. I was very nervous about what to prepare Also, I may combine that with some of the other ingredients from the spaghetti salad. Love olives in anything
Hi Sue! Not sure why I felt inspired to write this morning but please excuse the lengthy message. Just left an email reply yet I don’t know if you get those. Anyhow, I’m wondering where you learned to photograph your stuff, or do you hire someone out? I was looking at doing a food blog a few years back and got about halfway there. My mother did one before such a thing as a Blog existed. I sincerely love yours. It is very clear to me that you genuinely know how to cook unlike so many folks out there. I would just love to cook with you! When I see your stuff it reminds me of my mother’s cooking. She has always been known for her food as I know you have as well. She now has Alzheimer’s and is unable to cook anything and as said, the things you do remind me of the things she used to create and it tugs on my heartstrings admittedly. Anyhow, I guess you just give me some inspiration. Makes me wonder again if it’s worth a try, but I know I could never reach the levels you have. So many recipes! Just beautiful stuff! Lots of hard work in there I do realize! Truly wish I could just hang out and cook with you. Thanks for sharing all that you do and please take great care! – Erika
I did get your email Erika and your kind words made my day. Food is very emotional, for sure, and a lot of the cooking I do is inspired by my mom! I do do my own photography, and I’m self taught, which can be challenging sometimes 🙂 This profession is quite competitive and stressful but after doing it for over a decade I think I’ve finally gotten into a groove and am a little more relaxed. Hopefully that will allow me to keep at it for another decade!! I think you should follow your instinct and maybe get back into the game!
We’ve had both the Thai spaghetti salad and the Spaghetti salad and really enjoyed both of them!
Thanks Jan ~ you’d probably like today’s Thai Chicken Salad, then too 🙂
i make your one pot farmers market pasta often, its so crazy good!!!!
Thanks Colleen 🙂
Sue..I could eat each and every one of these pasta dishes! Saving all of these! Mmmm!!