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Summer Pasta Recipes

Updated: August 15, 2017
These pasta dinners are packed with fresh veggies and lean protein sources. With bright colors and bold flavors, they're perfect for a quick family dinner or a backyard barbecue.
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Pasta with Prosciutto, Cherry Tomatoes, and Asiago

Photo: Erin Kunkel
View Recipe: Pasta with Prosciutto, Cherry Tomatoes, and Asiago

This quick pasta toss is all about the play of textures: crispy bits of prosciutto, snappy squash, and blistered cherry tomatoes. Sauté the zucchini for just a minute—you want it to lose its raw bite but not brown. It will be perfectly crispy-tender when the pasta is done.

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Summer Veggie Pasta

Photo: Jason Varney
View Recipe: Summer Veggie Pasta

No-cook veggies make this easy dish a weeknight favorite. Peeling zucchini and squash into ribbons makes them fun for kids.

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Tomato Gratin Lasagna

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Tomato Gratin Lasagna

This is a fresh, summery take on lasagna. We call for seeding one-third of the tomatoes to get just the right amount of juciness.

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Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells

Jumbo stuffed shells are your weeknight answer to homemade lasagna: Instead of endless layers, spoon a single vegetable mixture into each shell, and bake 12 minutes or until the cheese melts. Shells are also easy and fun to serve—you’ll know exactly how many equal a serving. This vegetarian version turns a French summer stew into a hearty filling, a great way to double up on vegetables in a pasta dish. Use leftover chickpeas to bulk up any summer vegetable or grain salad.

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Crab, Fennel and Basil Spaghetti

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Crab, Fennel and Basil Spaghetti

Sweet crabmeat, sautéed fennel, and lots of herbs create a fresh and easy dish. Because this pasta toss is light and delicately flavored, it's perfect for warmer weather. Feel free to "back pocket" your way around this dish, subbing shrimp or a flaky white fish for the crab and playing with other herbs like tarragon, chives, and chervil.

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Cavatappi with Salmon and Wilted Fennel

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Cavatappi with Salmon and Wilted Fennel

The fennel bulb and fronds are both used in this dish, but save the stalks, too—they'll add anise-like notes to vegetable stock.

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Linguine with Sweet Pepper Sauce

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Linguine with Sweet Pepper Sauce

The glorious finish to this dish is Burrata—a very soft buffalo milk cheese with a supercreamy center. The name in Italian means "buttered," hinting at the sweet, rich flavor. If you can't find it, substitute ricotta cheese.

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BLT Pasta

Photo: Greg Dupree
View Recipe: BLT Pasta

Slab bacon lets you get a thicker dice than presliced bacon that will hold its own in the pasta; if it's hard for you to find, just use thick-cut sliced bacon. Peppery watercress wilts well yet maintains a little crunch. It also adds a nice savory note, balancing the sweetness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the bacon. Arugula would also work.

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Basil, Squash, and Tomato Pasta Toss

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Basil, Squash, and Tomato Pasta Toss

Grated zucchini will cook as the pasta is tossed. If you don't have a grater, cut the zucchini like the yellow squash, and sauté both.

This recipe is part of our Let's Cook! curriculum: Find more easy, healthy, affordable recipes anyone can make at CookingLight.com/LetsCook.

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Basil-Ricotta Ravioli with Spinach

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Basil-Ricotta Ravioli with Spinach

Wonton wrappers are the secret to these seemingly from-scratch pasta pillows. Skip the fancy folds; just make sure to seal the ravioli well. The ravioli fare better with a delicate sauce—here, just a drizzle of olive oil and lemon.

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Silky Pappardelle With Zucchini Ribbons

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Silky Pappardelle With Zucchini Ribbons

Baby zucchini and cherry tomatoes add fresh flavor to this creamy pappardelle dish. 

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Spaghetti with Toasty Garlic Tomato Sauce

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Spaghetti with Toasty Garlic Tomato Sauce

Garlic, cooked until lightly brown but not burnt, adds a gorgeous dimension to the flavor. Very thinly sliced tomatoes are key. Use a sharp, thin serrated knife; it only takes 5 minutes. If tomatoes taste too acidic, add 1/8 teaspoon sugar.

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Lasagna with Zucchini

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Lasagna with Zucchini

Your family will love this light comfort meal—and you'll love that it's a great use for all that summer squash and zucchini. This cheesy veggie lasagna so good that they won't miss the traditional dish.

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Pesto Pasta Salad With Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

This Caprese-inspired pasta toss is the ultimate summer main for a busy weeknight, outdoor picnic, or lunch on the go. Use yellow and red tomatoes for a stunning presentation and wonderful flavor variety.

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Summer Vegetable Rigatoni with Chicken

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Summer Vegetable Rigatoni with Chicken

Summer veggies—cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas—are the real showstoppers in this chicken rigatoni.

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