21 No-Cook Pasta Sauce Recipes for the Hottest Days

In the summer months, when the produce is so fresh (and the kitchen is so hot), it’s best to keep cooking to a minimum. We have plenty of recipes that require minimal heat, like Gingery Tomato Bruschetta and Charred Asparagus and Dates With Goat Cheese. And some of our favorite pasta sauces—like tomato-peanut and miso pesto—involve no cooking at all. A bowl of slurpable noodles reliably hits the spot when it’s humid as can be and you want to avoid the oven at all costs.

Start with these 21 recipes. Many of the sauces come together in the time it takes for pasta to cook, so you can get back to enjoying the great outdoors, or the also great air-conditioned indoors—whatever floats your boat. Note, some of the recipes (like this classic pesto) call for you to turn on the oven to toast nuts. Use the hot weather as an excuse to opt for pre-toasted nuts at the supermarket, or leave the nuts raw for a more delicate flavor.