This creamy and delicious summer squash pasta recipe is perfect for a light and flavorful meal. With garlic, parmesan cheese, and a touch of cream, this dish is sure to be a hit with your family and friends!
About This Summer Pasta!
This summery pasta dish is one of my favorite ways to use up in season squash. With bold garlic flavors and the creamy Parmesan sauce that coats the squash and pasta, this dinner is always a winner in my house.
Bonus is it is very versatile too! I have made this with many different types of summer squash (you may know this already from my sauteed zucchini recipe) They all taste amazing in this dish This is Italian style cooking at its best! Simple ingredients, seasonal eating and bold flavors.
Let me show you how to make this easy dinner.
Ingredients
- Summer Squash. I grow Italian zucchini and yellow squash in my garden so that is what I used. You can use any summer squash for this recipe. I have made this with Cousa squash, Romanesco, even patty pan squash. Just make sure to remove the skin from any squash variety that has a hard outside before sauteing it.
- Parmigiano Reggiano. try to use fresh parmigiano reggiano.
- Heavy Cream
- Fresh Garlic: This recipes is garlicky so if you don't like lots of garlic, feel free to use less. I suggest using at least half of the amount in the recipe and no less for the best taste.
- Pasta: Any dried pasta will work for this one. Fresh pasta will work too! Use what you have on hand.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
How To Make Summer Squash Pasta
- Saute Squash: Here you want to cook the zucchini and squash slices for just a little bit in a preheated pan with olive oil. You don't want to fully cook them since they will simmer later in the heavy cream.
- Lightly Cook The Garlic: Once the squash is cooked, you remove it to a plate so you can cook the garlic in the same pan.
- Make The Sauce: Once the garlic is cooked, you want to add the squash back to the pan along with all the other ingredients to allow it to gently simmer.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta that you are using (it can ziti, penne, rigatoni or whatever you like) until al dente then drain and make sure to reserve a little pasta water.
- Toss: Toss the pasta with the squash and sauce. Add a little pasta water to loosen up the sauce then toss again and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the type of squash that you are using. If the outside of the squash is soft, then no, the skin is edible and there is no need to remove it before cooking. If you are using a squash variety with a hard outside, you can cut the flesh away from the squash before cooking it.
The squash size and shape should match the pasta size you are using. I like to cut the squash into thick quarters for tube shaped pasta but you can also cut them into thick slices for longer pasta.
To prevent the squash from getting too soft, make sure to cut it a little thick and do not over cook it.
Storing And Leftovers
This pasta with squash stores well in the fridge for up to 2 days. I like to let the pasta come to room temperature then add it to a glass bowl with a tight fitting lid then refrigerate it.
For re-heating this pasta, just add it to a microwave safe bowl and heat on medium heat (with a moistened paper towel over the top to prevent it from drying out) for about 2 minutes or until heated through.
Looking For More Summer Pasta Recipes
Creamy Garlicky Summer Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta ziti, penne, or rigatoni
- 2 zucchini sliced into ¼ inch thick slices, then cut into quarters
- 1 Yellow squash sliced into ¼ inch thick slices, then cut into quarters.
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves Garlic sliced very thin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- While you are waiting for the pasta water to boil, preheat a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Once pan is heated, add the olive oil, then zucchini and squash and cook until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.2 zucchini, 1 Yellow squash, ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- Remove zucchini and squash with a slotted spatula (making sure to leave the olive oil in the pan) and place on to paper towels when they are done cooking. set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- In the same pan you cooked the zucchini, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes to perfume the olive oil with garlic.5 cloves Garlic
- Add the zucchini and squash back to the pan along with the cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper and mix well.1 cup Heavy cream, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper
- Let it gently simmer on low heat.
- Your pasta water should be boiling, so add the pasta to the pot with a generous pinch of salt and cook until al dente.1 lb Pasta
- When pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain.
- Add pasta to the pan with zucchini and squash and toss well.
- Add in half of the pasta water and toss again.
- If pasta looks too dry add remaining pasta water.
- Serve immediately.
Meghan says
Thank you for sharing this recipe