5 Summer Time Pasta Dishes Your Family Will Love
Pasta is a great dish for family dinners, potlucks, or a much needed carb hit.
My extended family is part Italian so pasta is always a crowd pleaser. It also goes the farthest when feeding a large family on a budget. Since we have a family dinner almost every Sunday, it's nice to have some left over pocket change when you go to the grocery store to get supplies. So, pasta makes a regular appearance even in the summer. The trick to a summer time pasta dish is to keep it light, with oils instead of sauce, fresh shellfish and cured meats as protein and lots and lots of fresh veggies and herbs (hopefully from your garden). You'll definitely get very little complaints with these summer time eats.
Here are 5 yummy summer time pasta recipes for you to try:
Fussily Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 - 1/2 cup of cut up peppers
1 - 1/2 cup of cut up cucumbers,
1 - 1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 a red onion finely chopped
1 cup of grape tomatoes finely chopped
1 can of black olives
1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes
1 - 2 boxes of cooked fussily pasta (depending on how many you plan to feed or for left overs)
Homemade Italian dressing
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 tbsps of balsamic vinegar
3 tbsps of Italian herbs (oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, marjoram)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut up veggies into finely chopped pieces. Place in a large bowl.
Cook fussily pasta as per instructions on the package or box, drain and add to vegetables
Drain and add in can of olives
Add in jar of sun-dried tomatoes
Make Homemade Italian dressing on a jar and add to ingredients
Add salt and pepper to taste
Stir ingredients together
Cover and place in the fridge to cool and set for a few hours.
Add fresh herbs when ready to serve.
Fresh Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients:
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 - 2 cups of spinach
1 cup of grape tomatoes chopped in halves
1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes
1 box of cooked spaghetti
30 - 40 pieces of shrimp
3 tbsps of olive oil
Fresh Italian herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, marjoram)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Thaw shrimp if frozen by running under cool water
In a medium sauce pan add 1 tbsp of oil and thawed shrimp
Add garlic cloves
Sauté until water evaporates and shrimp is well cooked; Set aside
Cook spaghetti as per instructions on the package or box, drain and place in a large bowl
Cut up tomatoes in halves and add to bowl
Add spinach
Add shrimp or protein
Add in sun-dried tomatoes (as many as you like: you can also add in artichoke hearts, olives, etc.)
Add Olive oil
Stir ingredients together
Add fresh herbs and salt and pepper when ready to serve
Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Pasta Medley
Ingredients:
1-2 cloves of garlic
3 peppers (red, yellow and orange)
1 - 2 zucchinis
1 package of mushrooms cut into slices
1 box of cooked spaghetti
2-3 Hot or Mild Italian Sausages
3 tbsps of olive oil
Fresh Italian herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, marjoram)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Roast sausages in the over at 400 ˚F 20-40 mins depending on sausage size or until cooked all the way through
Cut sausages into small slices
Cut up veggies and garlic into chunks
Coat veggies in olive oil
Add salt and pepper to taste
Spread veggies out on a roasting pan covered with parchment paper
Roast veggies at 400 ˚F for about 20-30 mins; Set aside once fully cooked
Cook spaghetti as per instructions on the package or box, drain and place in a large bowl
Add veggies
Add sausage
Add Olive oil
Stir ingredients together
Add fresh herbs and salt and pepper when ready to serve
Macaroni Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 can of tuna of your choice
2 cups of spinach
1/4 of a white/red onion, finely chopped
2 finely chopped carrots
2 finely chopped stalks of celery
2 tbsps of mayonnaise or plain greek yogurt
2-4 pickles, finely chopped
1 package of macaroni pasta
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook gluten free pasta according to direction on the package, set aside to cool or run under cool water to speed along cooling process.
Combine pasta with forked Tuna (so it flakes nicely), chopped up onion, celery, carrots and pickles in a large bowl. Add in mayonnaise or greek yogurt and stir ingredients together until well mixed, add in spinach, then salt and pepper to taste. Cool in the fridge or serve right away.
To make any of these recipes gluten free, use zucchini noodles or a gluten free pasta of your choosing as a substitute for the pasta noodles. My favourites are the gluten free pastas made by Catelli. They are the closest substitute I have found to regular pasta. They hold together well and taste great.
Do you have a favourite summer time pasta recipe? Share in the comments below.
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