Italians love their pasta and eat it all year round. However, summer is the season for pasta salads and lighter recipes with lots of summer veggies and lots of tomatoes. In fact, many Italians still follow the tradition of making their own passata and tomato sauces in summer. They then preserve the extra for the winter months.
Another summer food activity is making pesto, particularly basil pesto. Homemade pesto and fresh basil are both used in abundance in summer pasta dishes.
32 Italian summer pasta recipes
Just click the recipe name to go to the recipe post.
If you’re looking for light warm weather authentic Italian pasta recipes, I’m sure you’ll love this Italian summer pasta recipes collection!
1. Linguine pasta alle vongole (linguine with clams)
What could be a better way to celebrate the summer clam season than with an authentic pasta alle vongole that requires only 5 other easy-to-find ingredients? This seafood pasta recipe is one of the most popular dishes on the coasts of Italy, and for a good reason – it’s incredibly delicious!
2. Pesto Calabrese (Red Pepper Pesto) with Pasta
Get ready to add some excitement to your summer pesto dishes with this tasty pesto Calabrese from Calabria. This sauce has a creamy base of red pepper and fresh ricotta that works deliciously both hot with pasta or cold as a dip.
3. Lemon Water Spaghetti (A unique pasta al limone recipe)
This delicious spaghetti dish is made with lemon water and is based on a recipe by the Neapolitan Michelin star chef Peppe Guida. This recipe uses a unique approach to cooking the pasta, which results in a silky lemon pasta sauce made with very simple ingredients. It’s a very refreshing and perfect summer pasta dish.
4. Vermicelli di Positano
This recipe for fresh tomato vermicelli di Positano is brilliant for summer. It’s a great choice for vegetarians and vegans as it’s easy, nutritious and delicious! You only need to cook the pasta and marinate the vegetables and herbs. Excellent for warm weather meals, as a side at BBQs or for light lunches.
5. Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta
This creamy lemon salmon pasta is a delicious blend of pasta, succulent salmon, and a creamy lemon sauce. It calls for simple ingredients and you can prepare it in just 30 minutes. This recipe is fabulous for those evenings when you crave something gourmet but don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
6. Sicilian Pesto Pasta (Pesto Alla Siciliana)
Pesto alla Siciliana is a creamy no-cook sauce, which is quick and easy to make. You can have this delicious pasta dish on the table in no time – just boil the water, cook the pasta, and mix in the sauce. Enjoy!
7. Sardinian Lorighittas Pasta with Prawns and Scampi
Featuring a unique type of pasta called Sardinian lorighittas, combined with shrimp and scampi, this seafood pasta recipe makes for a dining experience similar to those found in fine Mediterranean restaurants.
This dish is rather special because Sardinia is the only part of Italy where you can have it made for you! Of course, you can use other pasta instead.
8. Pasta Portofino recipe from Liguria
If you enjoy the taste of basil pesto, then you’re bound to fall in love with this pasta Portofino (also known as alla Portofino) recipe, which combines pesto with tomatoes. This dish is named after the famous and beautiful fishing village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera and is packed with delicious Italian summer flavors!
9. Easy Italian squid pasta recipe from Abruzzo
Pasta with squid is a popular dish in Italy, especially in the coastal central and southern regions. Of course, recipes differ from region to region, not only in the way they cook the squid but the type of pasta used varies too.
The following recipe is an easy Italian squid pasta recipe from the Abruzzo region. It uses just a handful of fresh ingredients and is seriously delicious.
10. Pasta with tomato sauce allo scarpariello from Naples
This tasty tomato and cheese pasta allo scarpariello recipe from Naples is sure to become a family favorite once you try it! It’s a classic Neapolitan dish that is easy to make, and kids love it!
11. Pasta with Swordfish from Sicily
A stunning Sicilian pasta recipe that combines swordfish with ripe cherry tomatoes, fried eggplant, aromatic herbs, and lemon to create a simple and tasty dish that can be prepared in under an hour. one to wow your guests with!
12. Italian Cold Spaghetti Salad with Shrimp
This easy cold spaghetti salad recipe comes from the Central Italian region of Marche. The dish consists of pre-cooked shrimps or tiger prawns, arugula and cherry tomatoes, which are tossed with spaghetti and dressed in a simple oil and vinegar dressing.
This kind of pasta salad is a favorite among Italians, who like to bring it to beach picnics. It’s also great as a light lunch or as a dish for a potluck or buffet.
13. Homemade Anellini Pasta Rings alla Pecorara Recipe from Abruzzo
This delightful recipe for homemade anellini pasta rings originates from Abruzzo, particularly around the town of Elice. It is rich in veggies and perfect for vegetarians. Of course, you can use other types of pasta with the alla Pecorara sauce.
14. Spaghetti with Fried Zucchini (spaghetti alla Nerano)
Spaghetti alla Nerano is a delicious fried zucchini pasta dish from Southern Italy that was invented in the 1950s by a woman named Maria Grazia. She created this dish in her restaurant in Nerano, a small town on the Sorrento peninsula.
It is a simple and exquisite dish that has gained popularity over time, particularly thanks to Stanley Tucci, who featured it in his Searching for Italy series.
15. Fagottini Pasta with Eggplant and Mozzarella in a Cherry Tomato Sauce
This homemade fagottini pasta is filled with a rich, savory combination of eggplant and mozzarella and served in a vibrant cherry tomato sauce. It’s a sublime dinner for those who enjoy authentic and creative Italian cuisine.
16. Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a delicious and easy pasta recipe that originates from the city of Catania in Sicily. This classic vegetarian Sicilian pasta dish is typically made with pasta tubes like rigatoni or penne rigate, seasoned with a tomato sauce, and fried eggplant. It is then topped with grated ricotta salata and fresh basil, which adds to its Mediterranean summer flavor.
17. Pasta with Zucchini and Shrimp
This recipe for mezze maniche pasta with zucchini and shrimp is a delightful and sophisticated Italian seafood pasta dish. It is prepared using thinly sliced zucchini and pleasantly spicy garlicky shrimp. This recipe is quick and easy and perfect for weeknights, as it takes no time at all to prepare!
18. Roasted Cherry Tomato Orecchiette Pasta
This delicious Italian pasta dish with roasted cherry tomatoes is perfect for summertime. It’s bursting with sweet and refreshing flavors that are typical of the season, and the best part is that it only takes 45 minutes to prepare. It also makes for a great side dish or potluck recipe.
19. Zucchini Flower Pasta, Risotto Style
If you’re looking for a new and exciting way to enjoy pasta, you should definitely try making it risotto style. This zucchini flower pasta risotto recipe is a great place to start, as it’s simple to make and uses only a few ingredients. With its creamy texture and delicate flavor, this dish is sure to delight your taste buds.
20. Green Pasta Salad with Edible Flowers
This vibrant green pasta salad is not just healthy and delicious but also visually stunning, thanks to the addition of edible flowers. Perfect for the summertime, it makes an excellent choice for a light lunch or as an appealing side dish. Its fresh flavors and beautiful presentation are sure to make it a hit at any gathering, from Mother’s Day celebrations to summer picnics.
21. Cavatelli with rocket (arugula) from Puglia.
This healthy and delicious vegetarian cavatelli pasta with rocket is a traditional dish from Puglia in Southern Italy. Typical of the Southern Italian culinary tradition, it’s one of many simple recipes made with just a few fresh seasonal local ingredients.
22. Spaghetti alla Checca from Rome.
Spaghetti alla checca is a simple but tasty authentic vegetarian Italian pasta recipe from Rome. It’s fresh and easy to make and perfect for warm weather meals! I served mine with burrata. You can also use a fresh mozzarella. But, you can make it without the cheese for a vegan or dairy-free version.
23. Summer tagliolini with marinated vegetables from Emilia-Romagna.
This light summer tagliolini pasta recipe from a restaurant in Bologna is tasty, fresh and healthy. It has a no-cook sauce, meaning all you have to cook is the pasta. The vegetables are just chopped and marinated in olive oil. A perfect garden-to-table recipe for summer and easy weeknight meals.
24. Fileja Tropeana from Calabria.
Fileja Tropeana is a typical pasta recipe from Calabria, Southern Italy. It’s made with a colourful and fragrant sauce of zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and red Tropea onion. There’s also some peperoncino (red chili pepper) which gives this dish a bit of a kick!
25. Tuscan Pomarola with mixed pasta.
Pomarola is a traditional homemade tomato sauce from Tuscany. Actually, you can make it with a combination of different types of fresh tomatoes or with just one type. In this recipe, I paired my Tuscan pomarola tomato sauce with mixed pasta (pasta mista). This is a brilliant and economical way to use up leftover dried pasta. Of course, you can use your favorite pasta shape instead!
26. Creamy linguine al limone from Campania.
This beautiful creamy linguine al limone recipe comes from Italy’s famous land of lemons, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. It’s easy to make and can be ready in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. This is a perfect summer weather dish. Even though it contains cream it’s not heavy. Plus, the lemon adds such a wonderful summery flavor.
27. Basil pesto lasagna from Liguria.
Italian basil pesto lasagne al forno (also called lasagne alla Portofino) is hands down the best summer lasagna recipe. It’s light, easily made vegetarian and just totally delicious. If you love pesto, you’ll swoon over this dish! I used homemade pesto and béchamel and fresh pasta. But, you can cut prep times by using ready-made pesto, béchamel and pasta. Just assemble and bake!
28. Casarecce with caponata from Sicily.
One of the most iconic dishes in Sicilian cooking is caponata. This sweet and sour Mediterranean veggie dish contains eggplant, celery, onions, olives, capers and tomatoes. It is delicious as a side with both meat and fish. Of course, it makes a fabulous pasta sauce too! Pasta alla caponata is great warm or as a pasta salad.
29. Bucatini all’arrabbiata from Rome.
A delicious spicy classic vegetarian pasta dish from Rome. This classic Roman recipe is very quick and easy to make. In fact, all you need is garlic, chilli peppers, tomatoes, parsley, pasta and cheese. Ready in 30 minutes!
30. Pasta salad crudaiola Barese from Puglia.
Made with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, a sprinkling of hard ricotta or ricotta salata and extra virgin olive oil, this pasta salad crudaiola Barese, also called pasta alla crudaiola, is an incredibly versatile and healthy dish from Bari in Puglia. You can eat it as a one-plate light meal, as part of a cold buffet or at a picnic.
31. Southern Italian peperonata with pasta
The star of this seriously tasty vegetarian casarecce pasta alla peperonata is a stewed sweet pepper sauce that’s very traditional in Southern Italy. You can also eat peperonata as a side dish or on bruschetta. It’s simple to make and full of Mediterranean flavors!
32. Linguine with mint pesto and ricotta cream
This fresh and tasty contemporary Italian mint pesto recipe is easy to make and perfect for summer meals. Aside from the mint, this pesto has some fresh basil, pine nuts, grated Parmigiano and, of course, extra virgin olive oil. Apart from being delicious this recipe requires no cooking except for the pasta and can be ready in no time!
More Recipes Collections You May Like:
If you make any of these Italian summer pasta recipes I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Your feedback is much appreciated.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon Appetito!
Pin for Later:
Reader Interactions