35 Summer Pasta Recipes That Make the Most of Your Farmers Market Haul

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s macaroni and cheese. This version even more so, thanks to pickled jalapeños and avocado, not to mention a ton of white cheddar. It’s great as a burger side, but no one would complain if you made it the main course.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

It’s a total myth that you need a bunch of cheese, butter and cream to make a decadent pasta dish. Want proof? This flavorful number is it. (The secret to your success will be rich and tangy balsamic vinegar.)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Sungolds—those jewel-like yellow tomatoes with a candy-sweet taste—are at their peak in summertime, so take advantage of their sunny flavor while you can. (But if you can only find regular red cherry tomatoes, they’ll work too.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Is this the next best thing to a sunny Italian getaway? I’ll let you be the judge. If you are able to find ricotta salata, that’s a more traditional cheese topper—but pecorino will also work just as beautifully. Head to the farmers market for in-season eggplant, if you can.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Meet the prettiest centerpiece of the season. Wow your guests with this one-pan prize, complete with charred corn fresh off the cob and a creamy ball of burrata. No one will believe it took just an hour to make.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: keto friendly, low carb, <30 minutes
• Serves: 1

Even if you’re following a low-carb meal plan, you can still enjoy a bowl of summer pasta. This dish uses shirataki, or tofu noodles, instead of pasta to make it diet-friendly. Serve it hot or cold with lots of grated Parmesan.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4

This dish is impressive enough for company yet simple enough for your schedule. What’s not to like about garlic, lemon and a splash of heavy cream over pasta? Present it warm next to a dish of fresh mozzarella pearls.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4

Here’s another rendition of the classic carbonara, except this time it’ll use up your bumper crop of summer zucchini. Instead of meat, parsnips are fried into crisp, flavorful bits that give a similar effect as pancetta.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

I love a one-pan wonder. But I adore one that puts sweet, nutty summer squash front and center. You can even travel with it: Top the pan with foil and head straight for the party, then reheat before serving.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: Makes 48 bites

As it turns out, everyone’s favorite pasta doesn’t have to come in a bowl. These minis are poppable, a hit with kids and a breeze to make. Save a few for yourself before serving; they keep for two days in the fridge and make a mean lunch (or snack).

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

Sometimes less is more, and this summer pasta recipe is proof. Odds are you don’t even have to go to the grocery store to make it. Linguine or spaghetti work best, but if your heart (or your pantry) says rigatoni, I’m here for it.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4

To me, summer is all about fresh corn and tomatoes, repeat as necessary. (Bonus points if you grow the tomatoes in your backyard.) The trick to getting a glossy sauce here is all in the pasta water. Save some before draining the noodles—it’ll cook down with the vegetables to coat the strands of pasta just so.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
• Serves: 6

This summer pasta recipe couldn’t be simpler: Sauté a few pints of cherry tomatoes with sweet onions and garlic, then add that goodness to spaghetti before tossing with a touch of pasta water. If the ingredients are good, no need to make it complicated.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, pescatarian
• Serves: 4

Sure, you can eat shrimp year-round. But there’s something ultra-summery about a garlicky pasta tossed with buttery shrimp. Serve it with a glass of wine on the patio and you’ll understand what I mean.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pot, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

You’re too busy soaking up the sun to worry about dinner, I get it. That’s where this one-pot number comes in. You boil everything in the same vessel (really) and it magically transforms into a delicious bowl of pasta. (Thank me later.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes, pescatarian
• Serves: 4

This summer pasta recipe tastes like a day at the beach in the best way possible, thanks to briny clams, anchovies, prosciutto, a splash of vinegar and a smattering of garlic breadcrumbs. Serve the wine that you don’t use in the dish with your meal.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
• Serves: 6

This vegetable-laden pasta dish has all the cheesy layers you crave, without all the painstaking assembly. If you want to swap the asparagus for more summer squash, be my guest.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4

You wouldn’t know it by taste alone, but this creamy pasta is actually completely plant-based. The secret is twofold: You’ll squeeze every last drop of juice out of those corn cobs, and when combined with cashews, it becomes a luscious sauce.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Speaking of corn, it happens to pair beautifully with bacon. If you want to serve this dish to kids, try backing off on the crushed red pepper flakes or serving them on the side.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

ICYMI, tomatoes are in season. Is there a better reason to ditch the jarred sauce? I think not. Cook the orzo until it’s just shy of al dente, since it will finish cooking in the same skillet as the sauce.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes + chilling time
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
• Serves: 8 to 10

If you ask me, it’s not truly summer until someone brings a giant bowl of mac salad to the picnic table. In the spirit of all the most delicious BBQ side dishes, it actually tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge, so I recommend making it a day ahead.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
• Serves: 6

From salami to ricotta to artichoke hearts, this pasta has it all. Serve it with brisket or grilled veggies. The mustard vinaigrette works wonders on mixed greens, too.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 8

The simplest sandwich on earth just ditched white bread for your cutest serving bowl. This version is just as crunchy and creamy as its predecessor (props to mayo and Dijon mustard), plus it has a ton of black pepper bacon for a kick.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Cute curls of cavatappi just got a Southwest-inspired makeover. Corn, jalapeño and homemade lime-cilantro dressing make this a barbecue favorite that pairs with everything from grilled chicken to ribs.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 4 to 6

If you don’t like the classic Caesar, you might want to keep scrolling. This mashup contains all the flavors of the original, plus pasta. Even better, the dressing is made with avocado instead of raw egg, so it’s impossible to mess up (and everyone can eat it).

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 8

Pasta…or salad? You don’t have to choose. This dish has all the beloved flavors of the Italian antipasto (juicy tomatoes, creamy cheese, fresh basil and bright balsamic vinegar), plus the picnic-friendly portability of a cookout side dish.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
• Serves: 10+

The gang’s all here: cherry tomatoes, fresh mozz, Kalamata olives, salami and pepperoncini. Add a garlicky herb dressing and you’re in business. (Out of salami? Try swapping it for Italian sausage.)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It:
• Serves: 6

All the deliciousness of elote, minus the corn cob stuck in your teeth. Season and grill the corn until charred, then make the cashew-lime cilantro pesto. I won’t stop you from treating yourself to a dollop of sour cream or crema, either.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6 to 8

Calling all Greek salad-diehards. Kalamata olives, crumbled feta and English cucumber should hold your attention. If not, how about the lemon-herb vinaigrette made with honey, garlic and oregano? That’s better.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian
• Serves: 4 to 6

Yup, I’m inviting red sauce to the picnic. You only need six ingredients to pull off this summer pasta recipe, including feta, marinated artichokes and olives. Oh, and consider the sun-dried tomato dressing your secret trick for every potluck you ever go to.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
• Serves: 6

The red wine vinaigrette is the star of this dish, rounded out with sweet honey and zesty Dijon. (Be sure to dress it within an hour of eating so it doesn’t get soggy.)

• Time Commitment: 23 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
• Serves: 12

Fruit and cheese are a collab I never grow tired of, so why shouldn’t pasta join the mix? Tomatoes take a backseat in this caprese remix, while basil pairs up with fresh mint. To seal the deal, it’s all dressed with a sweet honey-balsamic vinaigrette.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Want to make modifications? Swap goat cheese for feta or pickled onions for raw. And if you have gluten-free guests, try chickpea pasta instead of whole wheat.

• Time Commitment: 21 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

Strawberries in pasta might seem unusual, but they add a pop of juicy flavor that pairs well with the salty miso-based dressing. If you want to make it ahead, just add the fruit the day you plan on eating it to keep it fresh.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 6

It never hurts to squeeze some veggies in between all those burgers and hot dogs. This soba-noodle starter is loaded with red bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, radishes and scallions. But the main attraction is without a doubt the peanut butter sauce spiked with citrus, honey and soy sauce.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

In this summer pasta recipe, linguine is dressed in a craveable ginger-brown sugar dressing made with soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. Cabbage, pepper, carrot, pea pods, cucumber and more crudités make it a crunch-lover’s dream.