20 Summer Pasta Recipes

A white plate topped with a pile of lemony salmon pasta, sprinkled with chives

Lemony Salmon Pasta1/20

We think of this gorgeous lemon salmon pasta as the Audrey Hepburn of pasta recipes given how it graciously brings both elegance and simplicity to the party.

White bowl with ziti and a pasta puttanesca sauce

Pasta Puttanesca2/20

Just like the women for whom it's named, this pasta puttanesca recipe is edgy, spicy, and more than a little sassy. Gets the job done in a hurry, too.

A white oval serving plate partly filled with pasta alla Norma with a spoon resting on the plate.

Pasta alla Norma3/20

We've tasted a lot of pasta alla Norma recipes in our day, and we gotta say, after trying this one, we're calling it quits on our search for the perfect recipe. Because this is it.

A bowl of spaghetti all'Aglio e Olio topped with olive oil and flakes of Parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti all’Aglio e Olio4/20

This classic Italian spaghetti all’aglio e olio is going to rock your world with its understated simplicity and undeniable frugality.

A white enamel pot with a blue rim with spaghetti, chili flakes, and oil in the bottom. A set of wooden tongs sits inside.

Spaghetti With Garlic and Chile Flakes5/20

Think you've got nothing in the house for supper? Take a look at this nifty little pasta recipe that comes together in minutes. And then think again.

A black skillet filled with summer tomato pasta, sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Summer Tomato Pasta6/20

Summer simplicity that's gonna earn a place in your weekly rotation.

An oval platter topped with a tangle of spaghetti and raw tomatoes with a fork and spoon resting in the pasta.

Spaghetti with Raw Tomatoes7/20

Summer at its simplest, not to mention it's most splendid, seeing as how five minutes of effort yields a meal that rivals round-trip tickets to Italy.

Skillet cauliflower pasta with farfalle, andouille sausage, spinach, and goat in a cast iron pan, a wooden spoon and striped towel nearby

Skillet Cauliflower Pasta8/20

Roasted cauliflower. Andouille sausage. Spinach. Goat cheese. Bowtie pasta. What's not to love about this quick weeknight meal? You'll be fighting your loved ones for leftovers.

Two bowls of angel hair pasta with lemon cream sauce.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce9/20

A perky weeknight supper tossed together from five consummate pantry staples: skinny strands of quick-cooking angel hair pasta, lemon, cream, parsley, and booze.

A cooked leftover pasta frittata on a round metal pan.

Leftover Pasta Frittata10/20

Got leftover spaghetti and some eggs? Then you've got supper. This recipe, from a chef at Chez Panisse, shows you how.

Bowl of rigatoni with artichokes, garlic, and olives, with lemon zest on a textured table

Rigatoni with Artichokes, Garlic, and Olives11/20

This weeknight friendly, company worthy, simple but not terribly subtle pasta concoction has us swooning.

A white plate of zucchini linguine--with pasta, zucchini, garlic, capers, mint, dill, and cheese with a fork

Zucchini Linguine12/20

This zucchini linguine is a panoply of summer abundance with summer squash and herbs crowding out the usual pasta sauce suspects. No complaints here.

A white serving bowl filled with penne with spinach-ricotta sauce.

Penne with Spinach-Ricotta Sauce13/20

A sort of inside-out take on tortellini filled with spinach and ricotta, this quick weeknight pasta supper boasts a rich spinach and ricotta sauce.

A white plate filled with shrimp and leek pasta on a multi-colored woven placemat.

Shrimp and Leek Pasta14/20

So long, noodles that are buried beneath heavy cream sauces. This shrimp and leek pasta is made with a barely-there broth and the sweetness of leeks.

Two serving spoons in a large serving bowl filled with spaghetti with olives, broccoli, and feta

Spaghetti with Olives, Broccoli, and Feta15/20

Eating healthy never tasted so satisfying as this jumble of salty, savory, and spicy that's done in just 30 minutes. Rumor has it cold leftovers are just as magnificent as dinner the night before.

A white bowl filled with lemon, ricotta, and pea pasta.

Lemon, Ricotta, and Pea Pasta16/20

Lemon, ricotta cheese, peas, and pappardelle pasta. The name says it all. A simple dish that can be made in no time. It's a real family-friendly dish. Honest.

A white bowl filled with spaghetti topped with bread crumbs and a chunk of pecorino beside the bowl.

Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs17/20

Bet you've already got everything you need for this frugal pantry pasta. All you need now is 15 minutes to pull it together.

A serving of lobster fra diavolo in an oval bowl with a spoon resting inside.

Lobster Fra Diavolo18/20

Lend a little swanky to everyday spaghetti by gilding it with chunks of sweet, sweet lobster and juuuuust the perfect hit of chile pepper.

A white bowl filled with farfelle with fresh salmon is nested inside another white bowl with a carafe and glass of red wine in the background.

Farfalle with Fresh Salmon19/20

So what if salmon isn't from Italy? Cookbook author Giuliano Hazan is and he says to toss chunks of the rich fish with pasta, tomatoes, and cream. We'll happily oblige.

A white plate topped with linguine and mussels in a red dress

Mussels in a Red Dress20/20

Mussels take a twirl through a classic red pasta sauce and linguine. Most certainly able to inspire laughter, scintillating conversation, perhaps even a twirl on the dance floor afterwards.