I don’t know about you, but I’ve been loving cooking for summer the past couple months. Our house has been fully stocked with fruits and veggies from our local farmer’s market: we’ve been enjoying so many berries, apricots, cherries, zucchini, cauliflower — you get the idea. There’s something about warm weather that makes me want to make meals filled with fresh, vibrant ingredients. And if I get to use local, seasonal produce, that’s even better! This Summer Pasta with Yellow Squash and Sun Dried Tomatoes ticks all the boxes for a perfect summer meal.

This pasta is light, but still filling and satisfying, and filled with tender yellow squash and flavorful sun dried tomatoes. Sun dried tomatoes (the jarred in oil kind) are one of my favorite ingredients to cook with; they bring so much delicious flavor to any savory dish. Plus, the oil the tomatoes are packed in is amazing to cook with. I call it liquid gold, and I always save it to use when cooking veggies or shrimp!

Recipe Notes

This summer pasta is super simple to make, and you can easily throw it together in 30 minutes. First, you’ll boil a large pot of my angel hair pasta (my personal favorite kind of pasta). Be sure to reserve about a cup of pasta water, you’ll use this later to make a very light sauce.

While the pasta is boiling, saute the sun dried tomatoes and squash until the squash has reduced and is very tender. Next you’ll add the garlic and spices, and cook until fragrant, Finally, add the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, and grated Parmesan and toss until the pasta is well coated in the light sauce.

This recipe will yield enough for a main course for 4 people, or a side dish for 6-8 people. It’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, or as part of a spread in a summer barbecue feast!

Related Recipes

Looking for more sun dried tomato recipes? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. This Cheesy Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli is a super fun project to try, especially if you’ve never made ravioli at home! Or if cheesy flavorful biscuits are more your thing, try these Asiago Sun Dried Tomato Biscuits.

If you’d like to serve a loaf of homemade crusty bread alongside this pasta, try out this No Knead Garlic and Rosemary Loaf!

Print Pin 5 from 5 votes Summer Pasta with Yellow Squash and Sun Dried Tomatoes A vibrant summery pasta packed with veggies and cheese. Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4 Ingredients 16 ounces dried spaghetti or angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound yellow summer squash sliced

2/3 cup jarred sun dried tomatoes drained and chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil, and thyme

1/2 cup grated Parmesan* cheese Instructions Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook about 2 minutes shorter than the time on the package (so if the package suggests cooking for 5 minutes, cook for 3 instead). The pasta should be cooked not quite al dente, for it'll finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat.

Add summer squash and sun dried tomatoes to the olive oil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash has softened and reduced in size, about 15 minutes.

Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and spices, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add pasta, and toss into veggies. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and the Parmesan, and toss to combine. The pasta sauce should be clinging to the noodles, though you may need to add a bit more pasta water if not.

Serve immediately topped with additional grated Parmesan. Notes *Not all Parmesan is vegetarian; traditional Parmesan from Europe is made using animal rennet. Be sure to check the label when purchasing Parmesan to ensure you buy Parmesan using vegetable rennet if you're a vegetarian.

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