Recipes

47 Summer Pastas Full of Fresh Tomatoes, Herbs, and More

And no, we don't mean macaroni salad.
Image may contain Dish Food Meal and Pasta
Christina Holmes

We’ll happily eat our favorite pasta recipes year-round—but summer pastas get to feature all those great in-season veg and bright herbs. (Don't worry, there’s still plenty of cheese.) Check out our favorite go-to recipes.

  • Image may contain Dish Food Meal Platter Lunch Salad and Hot Dog
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    1/47

    Jammy Pepper Pasta Salad

    This spicy, sweet, and punchy pasta salad is perfect for a hot summer picnic when you need your dishes perfect at room (ahem, air) temperature.

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  • Image may contain Food Macaroni Pasta Cutlery and Spoon
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li
    2/47

    Corn Cacio e Pepe

    In search of an alternative to the mac and cheese her kids insist on, Deb Perelman found inspiration in an iconic Italian dish.

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  • A white bowl on a marble counter filled with bright green basil pesto thick enough to hold a swirl.
    Photo by Alex Lau
    7/47

    Basil Pesto Recipe

    The most vibrant pesto isn’t just about the ingredients; it’s also about the order in which you blend them.

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  • Image may contain Spaghetti Food Pasta and Noodle
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    8/47

    Shrimp Scampi Pasta

    Buttery, garlicky, irresistible shrimp scampi—but make it pasta.

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  • Image may contain Spaghetti Food Pasta Dish and Meal
    Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    21/47

    Pantry Pasta

    This back-pocket pasta can be made with ingredients you have on hand in under 15 minutes.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Animal Seafood Sea Life Lobster and Plant
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Andy Baraghani, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    22/47

    Paccheri With Shellfish, Squid, and Tomatoes

    Think of paccheri as the big brother to rigatoni that will catch and be draped in so much saucy goodness.

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  • This image may contain Food Dish Meal Dessert Creme Ice Cream and Cream
    Peden + Munk
    31/47

    Fettuccine with Crab, Crème Fraîche, Lemon, and Tarragon

    Every Christmas Eve, chef Renee Erickson goes crabbing with her family and friends—then they make this simple and decadent pasta.

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  • BA's Best Linguine and Clams recipe
    Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boystova
    32/47

    BA's Best Linguine and Clams

    Clams vary in brininess and the amount of liquid they’ll release during cooking, so you’ll need to adjust the salt and add pasta water accordingly. To prevent the sauce from getting too salty, we recommend a measured amount of salt for the pasta water. If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe—the rougher surface texture will catch the slippery sauce better.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable Produce Seasoning Dish Meal Cabbage Kale and Bowl
    Peden + Munk
    33/47

    Ditalini Risotto

    Rather than being cooked in salted water, the pasta is treated like risotto—simmered in stock and stirred until cooked and creamy—which gives it plenty of time to pick up meaty flavors.

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  • Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Dish Meal Dessert Creme and Cream
    Alex Lau
    34/47

    Sweet Corn and Ricotta Raviolo

    These are jumbo-sized ravioli, and each one envelops an egg yolk, which will run when you cut the pasta open and mingle with the pan sauce. Duh-lish!

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  • A lemon pasta dish with spaghetti and a lemoncream sauce topped with strips of lemon zest and black pepper.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    39/47

    Pasta al Limone (Lemon Pasta)

    This creamy lemon pasta recipe is luscious and amply cheesy,but still bright and fresh. Best part: You can make it for dinner in just 15 minutes.

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  • Image may contain Spaghetti Food and Pasta
    Christina Holmes
    40/47

    Spicy Lobster Pasta

    There’s something special about lobster you’ve prepared yourself, but if cooking one on a weeknight isn’t your speed, buy cooked lobster or shrimp instead.

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  • Pasta with Sausage and Arugula recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell
    41/47

    Pasta with Sausage and Arugula

    Think of this effortless dish as a vehicle for peppery arugula—one of those rare salad greens we also dig when hot.

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  • Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
    Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    42/47

    Pasta With Mushrooms and Prosciutto

    Getting the consistency of the creamy mushroom sauce right is key for this pasta recipe. You want to reduce it just until it clings to the pasta to create a light coating.

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  • This image may contain Food Dish Meal and Pasta
    Alex Lau
    45/47

    Rigatoni with Sausage, Beans, and Greens

    Our favorite and best method of making pasta—the same one the pros use in restaurants—is one in which the pasta finishes cooking in a glossy sauce made by emulsifying cheese into the pasta cooking liquid. It’s so easy and good it might change your life (or if not your entire life, then definitely your weeknight pasta game).

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Bowl and Plant
    Gentl & Hyers
    46/47

    Pasta with Baby Artichokes, Mascarpone, and Hazelnuts

    The hardest part of making this recipe is trimming the artichokes, which isn’t as hard as it seems.

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