Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US Edition

https://vidostream.com

Our Best Summer Pastas

These fresh, hearty dishes show off the best of summer produce: tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus and more.
Ali Slagle’s double-tomato pasta salad.Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Ali Slagle’s double-tomato pasta salad.Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

It’s the season of grilled showstoppers and big, easy desserts, but summer pastas may just be the unsung heroes of seasonal cookouts and busy weeknights. Potentially portable, frequently vegetarian and reliably comforting, these recipes from New York Times Cooking can shine at a potluck or be thrown together as an easy dinner for two, with leftovers you’ll definitely look forward to.

Recipe: Pasta Salad

An overhead image of a black bowl filled with a creamy pasta tossed with slivers of seaweed and bits of asparagus.
Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
 

The kitchen’s greatest crime might be overcooked, mushy asparagus. Thankfully, Eric Kim’s pasta recipe ensures that those stalks receive the proper treatment. Here, they’re tossed in at the end, so the residual heat of the cooked pasta coddles them without overcooking them. It’s a perfect textural contrast to the sumptuous cream and bites of salty roasted gim.
 

Recipe: Creamy Asparagus Pasta

 
An overhead image of a rimmed plate filled with tube pasta tossed with zucchini and cheese. A striped napkin sits off to the left.
Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times
 

Zucchini shines in this straightforward recipe from David Tanis, who calls for his summer pastas to be “simple and fresh, ideally made with vegetables straight from the garden or market.” Summer squash of any kind could work here. It’s cooked until soft and slightly supple, bolstered at the end with fresh lemon zest, crushed red pepper and creamy ricotta.
 

Recipe: Summer Pasta With Zucchini, Ricotta and Basil

 
Short ruffled pasta, asparagus, peas and scallions are tossed in a creamy yogurt-feta sauce. The finished dish is topped with more mint and is ready to eat in a simple white bowl.
Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.​​​
 

This weeknight-fast pasta from Melissa Clark, easily served at room temperature, is also a great addition to any weekend potluck or picnic. Asparagus is quickly sautéed, providing welcome snap and bite, alongside creamy tangy feta and yogurt. A shower of freshly torn mint and chopped scallions adds extra brightness.
 

Recipe: Asparagus-Feta Pasta

An off-white bowl filled with creamy shells and bits of caramelized zucchini is photographed from overhead.
Credit...Bryan Gardner for The New York Times
 

Cooked down until it’s jammy, grated zucchini lets its sweet, satisfying traits show in this pasta from Ali Slagle. If you’re not in a rush, keep cooking: Those flavors only improve the longer the zucchini stews. The reward for your patience is properly caramelized zucchini that can be easily frozen for the next time you make this recipe (and there will absolutely be a next time).
 

Recipe: Caramelized Zucchini Pasta

An overhead image of a shallow white bowl filled with pasta tossed with a tomato sauce and scattered with herbs and bread crumbs.
An overhead image of a shallow white bowl filled with pasta tossed with a tomato sauce and scattered with herbs and bread crumbs.


Every summer presents a paradox: Eggplants are in peak form, but heat makes turning on the oven so unappealing. To that end, Kay Chun offers this stovetop recipe, ready in a fraction of the time. Eggplant turns tender, almost melting into a pantry-friendly tomato sauce, before being topped with Parmesan, toasted panko bread crumbs and a healthy slice of mozzarella. You’ll wonder why there’s any other way to make eggplant Parmesan.
 

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan Pasta

A shallow bowl holding tube pasta that’s been tossed with tomato and cheese, finished with herbs, is photographed from overhead.
Credit...Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.


 Ali Slagle’s tomato-butter pasta takes a cue from pan con tomate for an easy recipe that requires zero knife work (yes, zero). Instead, she looks to the box grater to break down the tomato and garlic — and even crumble frozen butter. Starch from warm pasta water turns the ingredients into a thick, glossy sauce, glazing the pasta from the inside-out. But choose ripe, in-season tomatoes, if you can. As Ali says, “If your tomatoes are tasteless, your pasta will be, too.”

 

Recipe: Tomato-Butter Pasta

A white plate of bowtie pasta tossed with a creamy sauce and cheese is photographed from overhead against a whitewashed wooden surface. The pasta is topped with corn kernels, scallions and herbs.
Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times


Nothing compares with corn at the height of summer. Melissa Clark makes the most of those peak kernels, using them two ways: first, as the base of a luxurious sauce, then whole and tenderly cooked for texture. While the recipe says out-of-season or even frozen corn can work here, take advantage of those fresh, in-season ears.


Recipe: Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil

 
A serving of pasta al pomodoro is shown in a wide, shallow beige bowl with a red rim, a fork twisted in the noodles. A glass of red wine sits just at the edge of the frame.
Credit...Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.


While Eric Kim’s recipe can be made year-round, this vibrant pasta really sings with late summer tomatoes, when they’re at peak flavor and retain less water. For best results, use smaller, more intense varieties, like plum, grape, cherry and Campari. Comforting but light enough when the days are hot, this recipe will become your seasonal stalwart.
 

Recipe: Pasta al Pomodoro

A rimmed blue pate is topped with pasta tossed with small tomato wedges and a creamy sauce.
Credit...Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.


When a heat wave comes through, consider this recipe. It makes use of a no-cook sauce of fresh tomatoes and their juices. When combined with warm pasta, fresh goat cheese melts naturally, for a creamy, comforting sauce that hugs each bite of pasta.
 

Recipe: Pasta With Fresh Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

A bowl of penne pasta and peppers, topped with slivers of cooked chicken and scallions, is photographed from overhead.
Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times


Punchy jerk seasoning and one mighty Scotch bonnet pepper bring out the best in this Rasta pasta recipe from Millie Peartree. She recommends a combination of colors for the recipe’s bell peppers — just right for the rainbow of summer peppers, each offering a different kind of sweetness.


Recipe: Rasta Pasta With Jerk Chicken

An overhead image of a white bowl filled with curly pasta, tossed with tomatoes and herbs.
Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.


Tomato enthusiasts will rejoice at this Ali Slagle recipe, which uses fresh and sun-dried tomatoes. Full of saturated oomph, sun-dried tomatoes are tossed with toasted chopped nuts for much-welcome texture. A gang of greens — arugula, herbs or a combination of both — join at the end, adding even more brightness to this summery pasta salad.
 

Recipe: Double-Tomato Pasta Salad

Orzo in a rimmed bowl is tossed with chunks of tomatoes, feta and herbs. A spoon juts out from the side of the bowl.
Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.


What’s the point of a pasta salad if it’s not portable and potluck-ready? Kay Chun’s version will have everyone asking for the recipe. It’s easily made ahead and better at room temperature as bites of sweet, stewed-down peppers and tomatoes beautifully complement crumbled feta.
 

Recipe: Orzo Salad With Peppers and Feta

A tan plate filled with long tubular pasta tossed with peas and cheese is photographed from overhead.
Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.


No food processor? No problem. Ali Slagle’s pesto requires no special equipment. Instead, herbs, garlic, nuts and salt are purposefully chopped and smashed into a paste until they’re seamlessly transformed into a bright pesto and tossed with pasta and peas.

 

Recipe: Pasta With Chopped Pesto and Peas

An overhead image of a gray bowl filled with pasta noodles, halved tomatoes and shrimp.
Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.


Don’t overlook the abundance of cherry tomatoes available during the summer. While larger varieties are often the backbone of pasta sauces, they can lack the concentrated sweetness of their smaller siblings. In this easy weeknight recipe, Naz Deravian marries frozen shrimp, a freezer staple for most, with colorful cherry tomatoes that develop even deeper flavor thanks to a fennel- and garlic-infused oil.

Recipe: Shrimp and Tomato Pasta Follow New York Times Cooking on InstagramFacebookYouTubeTikTok and PinterestGet regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.

Author: Editors Desk

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second