Quick, easy and versatile, pasta is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Often hailed as the king of comfort food, this store-cupboard staple comes into its own when paired with lighter, brighter summer flavours on a sunny day.
So, whether it’s vibrant veg or beautiful seafood finished with fresh herbs, make the most of seasonal produce with our 12 super summer pasta recipes that everyone will love…
Learn from the best with Gennaro’s tuna bucatini. The combination of anchovies, fresh chilli, cherry tomatoes and baby capers gives the sauce serious flavour, all finished off with a squeeze of lemon. Bellissimo!
Toss tagliatelle with pesto, potatoes and gorgeous greens for this simple take on a Genoese classic. This version uses basil and almonds, but you can use any mix of soft herbs and nuts that takes your fancy.
Show off some of summer’s best ingredients in this beautiful orecchiette dish. Use new season broad beans and ripe cherry tomatoes for extra freshness, and if you want to go all out, try making your own pasta.
Celebrate the natural sweetness of crab and the subtle flavour of fennel in this simple yet elegant spaghetti dish. The kick of fresh red chilli cuts through the rich seafood, while the fennel tops finish everything off perfectly.
Colourful, fun and packed with goodness, this homemade spinach pici dish will brighten up any dinner table. And if you’ve never made pasta before, this is a great place to start.
Recreate the flavours of Sicily at home with a few store cupboard ingredients and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Full of flavour and ready in under 15 minutes, this is a weeknight winner.
Hero peas, spinach, creamy ricotta and lemon in this veggie take on a classic carbonara. A quick and easy recipe you’ll come back to time and time again.
This Sicilian-inspired spaghetti teams silky aubergine and sweet tomatoes with salty capers for a simple yet satisfying spaghetti dish. This recipe uses wholewheat pasta for added texture and flavour – super-delicious.
Make the most of a summer favourite with this lemony courgette linguine. Ready in 15 minutes and using just five ingredients, seasonal pasta dishes don’t get much easier than this.
CHICKEN, LEEK & PEA PASTA BAKE
A summery pasta bake the whole family will love. Simply stir slow-cooked leeks, cooked chicken and ricotta through your favourite pasta shape, top with Parmesan and bake until golden and bubbling – what’s not to love?
Full of goodness and super-easy to throw together, this mackerel pasta salad is perfect for any picnic spread. Best served on a sunny day!
The comfort food classic gets a summery twist in this gorgeous courgette carbonara. You’ll find the familiar flavours of bacon and Parmesan freshened up with courgettes, flowering thyme and, if you can get hold of them, delicate courgette flowers. Yum!
VEGGIE ORZO PASTA
Finally, this veggie orzo pasta is a glorious summertime pasta dish. Feel free to eat as it is or serve with chicken or fish to make it go even further.
