Summer Squash Pasta
Published 7/22/2022
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This easy summer squash pasta is ready in 30 minutes. It is veggie packed and is the perfect use for summer squash and zucchini from the garden. You serve this pasta with fresh burrata that makes it creamy and delicious.
Summer Squash Pasta
Do you have extra zucchini to use from your garden? This summer squash pasta uses yellow squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and more. It is a summer garden pasta with a simple sauce and topped with delicious burrata and a balsamic glaze.
The best part of this pasta is that it is very easy make!
Why you’ll love it!
Reasons why you’ll love it.
This pasta is flavorful, but so easy to make!
You can make this pasta your own by adding different types of vegetables or herbs.
It tastes just like summer time in a skillet!
Featured Ingredients
- Zucchini and yellow squash: we use one medium zucchini and one medium yellow squash (or two small zucchinis and two small yellow squash) sliced about the same size. Zucchinis and yellow squash come in all shapes and sizes so don’t fret if you have to use different sizes. More veggies are always a good thing in this pasta.
- Pasta: use whatever pasta your little heart desires. We used rigatoni noodles.
- Burrata: burrata is a creamy and delicious cheese that is to be added to the pasta (room temperature or cold) right before serving. Do not try to mix the burrata into the sauce, it will seize and clump.
- Balsamic glaze: a little balsamic glaze will add the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness to this pasta right before serving.
Simple Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted (like really salty) water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente. Remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside for later.
- Sauté the veggies. Add the oil to a large skillet and sauté the onion for a few minutes before adding tomatoes and garlic to the pan. Cook the tomatoes in the skillet for about 5 minutes until the begin to burst.
- Let the sauce simmer. Deglaze the pan with the wine, add the tomato paste to the skillet, and add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan and whisk. Let the sauce simmer and reduce for about 1 minute.
- Add the zucchini and yellow squash. Add the slices of zucchini and yellow squash to the sauce and toss. Let the zucchinis cook for 4-5 minutes, but not so much that they get mushy. Every stove top is different!
- Toss everything together. Add the pasta, salt, red pepper flakes, to the skillet and toss all of the ingredients together. Let the pasta warm in the skillet before removing the pasta from the heat.
- Add toppings. Add the fresh herbs, burrata, and the balsamic glaze to the pasta and enjoy!
here’s a tip
Use a mandolin to slice the zucchini and yellow squash to make sure they are all about the same size.
Latest Pasta Recipes
Top Tips
Summer squash and zucchini are the same vegetable. Feel free to substitute one for the other.
The burrata is meant to be served at room temperature or cold on top of warm pasta. Do not try to mix the burrata into the hot pasta, especially over direct heat.
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FAQ
Yellow squash and zucchini are both a part of the squash family and can be used interchangeably.
Yes, you can freeze summer squash or zucchini. Slice the veggies and make sure they are not wet. Place the slices into a freezer safe bag and place them in the freeze for up to 3 months.
You can add a variety of ingredients to this pasta dish. Feel free to add your favorite veggies or cheeses to this dish.
Storage
Let this summer squash cool completely before storing it in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat: reheat this pasta by placing the pasta in a skillet and adding a little more water or wine and heat the pasta over low heat, stirring until warm.
Summer Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dried rigatoni
- 1 cup reserved starchy pasta water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- ½ large red onion, chopped
- 1.5 teaspoons salt, separated
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup sauvignon blanc
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 medium yellow summer squash, or 2 small
- 1 medium zucchini, or 2 small
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves, ripped
- 3-4 fresh mint leaves, ripped
- 8 oz. burrata, we used 4 2-oz. balls but you can use 2, 4-oz. balls as well
- 1 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Before straining the pasta, set aside 1 cup of the pasta water for later. Strain the pasta and set it aside for later.
- Next, heat a large skillet with sides over medium/high heat. Add 1.5 Tbsp of olive oil. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the onion to the pan and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes to the skillet and season with an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss all of the ingredients together and sauté for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the sauvignon blanc and then add the tomato paste and ½ cup of the pasta water to the skillet. Whisk the tomato paste into the liquid and let the ingredients cook down for 1 minute.
- Add the summer squash and zucchini to the skillet, adding the rest of the olive oil over the top of the zucchinis. Season the squash with ½ teaspoon of the salt and sauté for 4-6 minutes, tossing with the tomato and onion mixture. Stir occasionally.
- Next, toss the squash with the rest of the vegetables and sauce and season with pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, along with the remaining pasta water and toss all of the ingredients together. Let the pasta warm in the sauce as it thickens for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Top the pasta with the basil and mint and then place the burrata on top of the pasta. Drizzle the burrata with balsamic glaze and additional olive oil (if desired).
- Serve with freshly cracked pepper.
Tips & Notes
- Summer squash and zucchini are the same vegetable. Feel free to substitute one for the other.
- The burrata is meant to be served at room temperature or cold on top of warm pasta. Do not try to mix the burrata into the hot pasta, especially over direct heat.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Am I supposed to take the tomato mixture out of the pan before cooking the squash? Confused.
We absolutely LOVED this dish and will definitely be making it again. My only feedback is it was a little confusing on when to take items out of the pan and when to add them back in.
We LOVED this dish! We added chicken to add some more protein. My only feedback was it was confusing on when to take items out of the pan and when to add them back.
Love the idea of adding chicken! And thanks for the feedback on the instructions — we’ll take a look 🙂
This is really good. I’d never heard of burrata cheese but I bet it’s great. I put a little cream cheese on the dish, and it’s really tasty. I love all the veggies, and the wine adds great flavor.
So happy to hear you loved this pasta as much as we do, Emilie!