Today I am zeroing in on summer pasta recipes!
We all know and enjoy lettuce-based salads with veggies, fruit, or protein, but let us not forget how delicious summer pasta salad is.
Summer pasta recipes with cold preparation are refreshing, especially if summertime is exorbitantly hot where you reside!
Some summer pasta dishes are simple to throw together, while others take a little while to prepare, so the meal prep time frame is something to consider when choosing a recipe!
Summer pasta dishes dinner focused include all they need to stand alone as a meal, while others are considered side dishes.
The creative part of summer pasta ideas is that there are SO many different shapes and styles of pasta that summer pasta salad recipes could be served for days and days with no repeats, leaving plenty of room for enjoyment!
These recipes are certainly not relegated to being only served in the summer.
The best summer pasta recipes could be enjoyed year-round with a few modifications if a particular ingredient is not in season.
No matter how experienced one is in the kitchen, easy summer pasta recipes are fantastic to have on hand when you are short on time and high on hunger.
I don’t know about you, but time seems to slip through my fingers faster in the summer than any other time of the year!
So, let’s jump in and explore 30 summer pasta recipes to find a few hidden gems!
Zucchini and pasta combine beautifully in summer pasta recipes!
Here linguine is the pasta of choice, along with the zucchini, garlic, goat cheese, lemon zest, and seasonings!
The pasta and zucchini are cooked separately with detailed instructions on how to combine for a lovely dinner!
If you are looking for a new way to use prosciutto, an Italian cured ham, may I suggest this summer pasta salad?
Add some penne pasta, peas, pepper, and parmesan to the prosciutto!
Yes, this recipe was brought to you by the letter “P.”
It is reasonably quick to make and really delicious!
Tuna was bound to make its way onto this list of summer pasta recipes and cold serve options!
Macaroni, hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish, peas, celery, onions, and tuna make this a filling salad!
It is super easy to switch out ingredients.
Best served chilled!
Rotini might be the most popular pasta in summer pasta salad recipes!
Those spirals allow dressings to soak in and other ingredients to combine.
Here the rotini is mixed with cucumber, tomato, broccoli, parmesan, and ranch dressing, either homemade or store-bought.
Tortellini and shrimp are the main attractions in summer pasta dishes like this Po’ Boy Salad!
It also has cherry tomatoes, dill pickles, romaine, red onion, a cajun spice mix, and a remoulade dressing.
Excellent directions for the step-by-step process!
Use the crispiest lettuce leaves for the best crunch factor!
This summer pasta easy prep is exactly what it says, dump and bake!
Dump in zucchini, corn, tomatoes, basil, chicken, broth, uncooked pasta, mozzarella cheese, and bake!
It is easy and tasty, uses summer veggies, and is covered in cheese!
I might give it a good stir in the middle of the baking time.
Casserole made in heaven!
Pizza in all its forms is a hit and now it is also part of my summer pasta ideas!
Fusilli pasta, pepperoni, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella, and parmesan are the recipe ingredients.
The dressing is a combination of Italian salad dressing and pesto.
Topping add-in ideas are limitless!
Tailor your pizza salad to fit your pizza preferences.
Exciting combinations can be found in summer pasta dishes and dinner recipes!
Bow tie pasta, chicken, celery, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, red grapes, and green onions make up this salad with a coleslaw dressing.
Set aside time for chilling and garnish with craisins and cashews when serving!
Let’s put that Instant pot to work for us with summer pasta easy recipes!
Creamy chicken spaghetti can be served year-round, and this recipe scores big since it does not use any processed cheese.
Many broths, spaghetti, chicken, onion, seasonings, cream cheese, heavy cream, mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan cheeses are included!
Great directions.
This quintessential of best summer pasta recipes, Mac and Cheese, gets a makeover by adding veggie and protein right in the mix, turning it into a meal unto itself!
The pasta is small shells, and the broccoli is cut into bite-sized florets with sharp cheddar recommended.
Variations discussed for using cooked or raw chicken and best pasta prep practices!
The cilantro-lime combination in summer pasta recipes is tantalizing!
Here bow tie pasta, red onions, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro combine to make an unbelievable salad!
The dressing recipe has a Greek yogurt base with lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and salt blended.
Different combinations in summer pasta recipes seem never-ending!
In this recipe, fusilli pasta, basil pesto, white beans, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and pine nuts make a gorgeous divergently textured salad!
13. Crab Pasta Salad
If seafood is on the menu, particularly crab, these summer pasta ideas will be fascinating!
This crab pasta salad can be made with real or imitation crab, pasta shells, black olives, red bell peppers, green onions, and celery!
The dressing is a mayo and yogurt combo with seasonings!
Allow two hours to chill before serving.
Mexican street corn is ever so popular, and now it is making the rounds in the form of summer pasta salad recipes!
It has fire-roasted corn, rotini pasta, crumbled Cotija or queso fresco, and cilantro.
The dressing recipe is a sour cream and mayo mixture with seasonings and lime juice!
So many tastes to love!
This salad has a bit of a kick, and that is what makes it a standout among summer chicken pasta dishes.
This recipe is straightforward and includes macaroni, prepackaged buffalo chicken strips, celery, cherry tomatoes, green onions, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing.
The pasta and chicken are prepared separately and then all combined.
When cherry tomatoes are in abundance, this summer pasta’s effortless style will delight!
Orecchiette pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil, lemon and garlic is delightfully filling.
Reminiscent of bruschetta bread, this is simple with a lovely lemon flavor coming through!
By default, it does seem all summer pasta recipes cold in nature are most pleasing.
This one serving spaghetti cold is quite different and delicious!
It also has green and red peppers, cucumbers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, salami, black olives, cheese, and your favorite dressing!
Everyone is familiar with caesar salad and these summer pasta dishes for dinner take that salad and add in chicken and pasta!
Pan-fried chicken, bacon, pasta, Caesar dressing, and of course, some croutons make a satisfying dinner salad!
For a different twist on the chicken Caesar salad above, summer pasta easy recipes swap out a few ingredients, and VY-OH-LAY, a brand new salad is born.
Here the greens of choice are basil, the chicken grilled, the dressing a balsamic vinaigrette, and the pasta is whole grain.
Garnish with a generous amount of parmesan, and it’s time to dig in!
For some, salads with shrimp make the best summer pasta recipes!
Here spiral-shaped pasta, shrimp, tomatoes, red peppers, green onion, and a homemade sauce make this a fabulous seafood salad.
The sauce is a little creamy and tangy, which equals just right!
More chicken, more summer pasta recipes, but this one has asparagus and toasted pine nuts for a change of pace!
The instructions are for grilling the chicken and asparagus, but this recipe has lots of wiggle room to prepare things by whatever method works best for you.
It is equally good served warm or cold.
22. BLT Pasta Salad
You can turn your bacon-loving self loose on this summer pasta salad!
Here I have all the makings of a BLT sandwich and turned it into a pasta salad complete with rotini pasta, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy ranch dressing!
This will win over even Aunt Sally who doesn’t like any sides at the family reunion except her own!
Another similar yet different salad on this collection of summer pasta recipes cold prep style is this Caprese pasta salad.
This time the pasta is bowtie, and the add-ins are tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and pesto!
Yes, pesto!
It totally changes the expected flavor profile.
Beautiful side salad!
For the next fiesta, you attend, I suggest summer pasta salad recipes with southwestern seasonings like this one!
Farfalle, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, cumin…well, you get the picture, southwest flavors galore!
A homemade lime dressing recipe is included, and chill time allows all the flavors to incorporate!
Cold summer pasta dishes with tuna mean no one will be fussing about the smell even when they like the taste!
Funny how that is.
This recipe combines Italian flavors with French Nicoise salad so hold onto your hats, this will be fun!
Fusilli pasta, albacore tuna in oil, tomatoes, scallions, anchovies, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, and capers appear in this tuna pasta salad.
Elegant and all grown up for sure!
When a quick summer pasta salad easy to throw together is what you need, this recipe is great.
Macaroni, coleslaw mix, green onion, coleslaw dressing, mayo, salt, and pepper are all it takes!
Cook up the macaroni, add all the other ingredients, stir and chill for a few hours!
Done and delicious!
When summer pasta ideas need that little something extra, look no farther than some tortellini.
What’s not to love about this pasta salad filled with bacon, broccoli, tortellini, red cabbage, smoked sausage, and cheddar cheese.
There is mayo and sour cream dressing to make and add just before serving.
Little chance any of this salad will be left over!
Steak makes a fabulous, if not exceptional, summer steak pasta dishes dinner recipe!
This salad includes small pasta, asparagus, cooked steak cut into bite-sized pieces, bacon, and parmesan.
The dressing is mayo, sour cream, and apple cider vinegar.
Adjust the seasonings based on how seasoned the steak was when cooked.
Here’s the CookingChew list of what to serve with pasta!
Baby arugula is the base for some summer pasta easy recipes like this one!
Additionally, roasted veggies of corn, cherry tomatoes, and red bell pepper, combined with bowtie pasta, shrimp, and basil make up this beautiful bowl!
A salad dressing recipe is included with a base of olive oil and white wine vinegar.
Side salad or a whole meal, it’s your choice.
The best summer pasta recipes have a little something familiar and a little something unexpected.
Here the familiar is zucchini, shallots, capers, and garlic—and the unexpected is the walnuts.
Great instructions for a vegan zucchini pasta salad with great taste to which a protein could easily be added if desired.
Renee came up with this one: a meatless, egg-free option for a vegan pasta salad that’s tasty and quick to make.
It’s always best to chill it, and you can really add as many vegetables as you want, including chickpeas, chunked tofu, and the like, just add a bit more seasoning and salt.
The bottom line
Summer pasta recipes come in all shapes and flavors, and I hope these were fun browsing through!
I can’t help but smile thinking of all these beautiful and creative summer pasta salads!
Want even more pasta? We’ve got you covered with these options
- Cheesy Pasta Recipes
- Pasta in the Slow Cooker
- Best Pasta Side Dishes
- Economical Ground Beef & Pasta Meals
- Baked Pasta Dishes
- Keto “Pasta” Recipes
- Best Ways to Cook Sausage & Pasta
31 Ways To Make Pasta For Summer ☀️🍝
Pick your new favorite summer pasta recipe from CookingChew’s list of incredible dishes served hot or chilled, but fast and easy just in time for summer!
Ingredients
- Zucchini & Goat Cheese Pasta Dinner
- Prosciutto Pasta With Peas & Parmesan Cheese
- Best Homemade Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Ranch Pasta Salad
- Po’ Boy Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Dump-And-Bake Summer Pasta
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
- Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Salad With Grapes & Cashews
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
- Broccoli Chicken Mac & Cheese
- Cilantro-Lime Pasta Salad
- Sun-Dried Tomato, White Bean, & Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad
- Crab Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Orecchiette Bruschetta Pasta
- Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Amazing Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Grilled Chicken & Asparagus Pesto Pasta
- BLT Pasta Salad
- 4-Ingredient Caprese Pasta Salad With Pesto
- Southwestern Pasta Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad With Olives & Capers
- Coleslaw Macaroni Salad
- Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad
- Steak Pasta Salad With Asparagus & Bacon
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad With Shrimp
- Zucchini Pasta Salad
- Vegan Pasta Salad
Instructions
- Skim through our Summer Pasta Recipes list.
- Select the recipe you’re looking for.
- Prep the ingredients as instructed.
- Spill your thoughts on our Facebook page!