Summer Vegetable Pesto Pasta is what happens when your garden gets a little too generous and dinner still needs to hit the table in 25 minutes. Tender zucchini and yellow squash, sweet cherry tomatoes, a good scoop of basil pesto, and fresh fettuccine come together into a bowl that tastes like the middle of July. It is fresh, it is fast, and it is wonderfully forgiving, which is exactly what I want out of a weeknight pasta.
I make some version of this almost every week once the squash starts piling up on my counter. Reach for a jar of store bought pesto to keep things quick, or blend up a batch of my Pistachio Pesto if you want to go the homemade route. And if you love an easy pasta night as much as I do, my Pasta alla Vodka is another one that gets to the table fast without a lot of fuss.
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Why this Works
This recipe leans on a short list of fresh ingredients and lets each one do the heavy lifting. The squash gets a quick sauté so it stays tender with a little bite, the cherry tomatoes bring pops of sweetness, and the pesto ties it all together with garlicky, herby richness. Nothing here is complicated, and that is the whole point.
It is also one of the most flexible dinners in my rotation. Whatever is thriving in the garden or wilting in the crisper drawer can find a home in this pasta, so it works just as well in early June as it does at the very tail end of tomato season.
Heather’s Recipe Notes
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Use a pesto you actually love eating. Since it carries most of the flavor here, a good jarred pesto or a fresh homemade batch both work, but skip anything watery or bland.
- Give the squash room in the pan. A 12 inch skillet over medium high heat lets it pick up a little color instead of steaming into mush.
- Do not skip the Aleppo chili flakes. As a co-founder of Spiceology, I am a little obsessed with finishing spices, and Aleppo brings a mild, fruity heat that wakes the whole bowl up. A pinch of regular red pepper flakes works if that is what you have.
- Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining. A tablespoon or two loosens the pesto and helps it cling to every noodle.
- Fresh fettuccine cooks in about 2 to 3 minutes, so have everything else ready to go before it hits the boiling water.
Maillard Reaction
Here is a small trick that takes this pasta from good to crave worthy. When you sauté the zucchini and squash, resist the urge to stir constantly. Let the slices sit in the hot oil long enough to pick up golden edges. That browning is the Maillard reaction at work, the same bit of chemistry that makes toast, seared steak, and roasted vegetables taste so deeply savory.
Summer squash is mostly water, so it can turn soft and bland if you rush it. A hot pan and a little patience coax out nutty, lightly caramelized notes that plain steamed squash never delivers. Those browned edges add a layer of flavor that plays beautifully against the fresh tomatoes and herby pesto, and it is the difference between a pasta that is just fine and one that disappears from the bowl.
Ingredients in Vegetable Pesto Pasta
- Zucchini – using smaller squash means less water content and a crisper veggie when pan seared.
- Yellow summer squash – we called them crook neck when I was a kid.
- Pesto – freshly made or store bought. Try my Pistachio Pesto in this recipe.
- Cherry tomatoes – use a mix of colorful cherry tomatoes.
- Fresh fettuccine – for maximum flavor, use fresh pasta. Dried pasta also works.
- Fresh garlic – minced fresh garlic will add zesty flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – add parm to your heart’s content. I don’t judge.
- Aleppo chili flakes – aleppo is a mild, fruity crushed chile that is slightly spicy. Substitute a pinch of red pepper flakes if you don’t have aleppo.
- Olive oil – for sauteing the veggies.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Subs & Variations
- Swap the vegetables. Snap peas, asparagus, corn, or bell peppers all work beautifully in place of or alongside the squash.
- Add a protein. Grilled chicken, shrimp, or a can of white beans turns this into a heartier main.
- Change the pasta. Penne, rigatoni, or gemelli hold onto the pesto just as well as fettuccine.
- Make it dairy free. Use a dairy free pesto and skip the Parmesan, or top with nutritional yeast instead.
- Brighten it up. A squeeze of fresh lemon and a handful of torn basil right before serving make everything taste even greener.
Find the full printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions below.
Tips for Storing
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- This pasta is delicious cold, so leftovers double as a quick pasta salad for lunch the next day.
- To reheat, warm it gently in a skillet over medium low heat with a splash of water or olive oil to loosen the pesto.
- Skip the high power microwave, which can turn the squash rubbery and dull the fresh flavor.
- I do not recommend freezing this one. The squash and tomatoes turn watery once thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. A good jarred basil pesto keeps this a true weeknight meal. If you have a few extra minutes, a homemade batch takes it up a notch and tastes noticeably fresher.
Quick cooking summer vegetables shine here. Zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, snap peas, and corn all cook fast and hold their texture. Save dense vegetables like potatoes or winter squash for other recipes.
Yes. Sauté the vegetables and cook the pasta a few hours ahead, then toss everything with the pesto just before serving. It also holds up beautifully as a cold pasta salad the next day.
Reserve a little pasta water before draining and toss a splash in with the pesto. A drizzle of olive oil or a spoonful of vegetable broth works too. It loosens the sauce and keeps every noodle coated.
Yes, as written it is vegetarian. To make it fully vegan, use a dairy free pesto and skip the Parmesan or swap in nutritional yeast.
Both are wonderful. Serve it warm straight out of the skillet for a cozy dinner, or chill it and serve as a pesto pasta salad for potlucks and packed lunches.
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Summer Vegetable Pesto Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small zucchini, cut into thin slices
- 1 small yellow summer squash, cut into thin slices
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 9 oz fresh fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ – ⅓ cup prepared basil pesto
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch aleppo chili flakes, or crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a 12-inch skillet add olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add in zucchini and yellow summer squash. Season with the desired amount of kosher salt and black pepper. Saute about 5 minutes just to soften the squash. Add in the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds just until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- In a medium size pot add water and set over high heat. When the water boils add in kosher salt and the fresh pasta. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with the cherry tomatoes and basil. Toss to combine. If the pasta is too dry you can try adding more pesto, a drizzle of olive oil or some vegetable broth.
- Before servings sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chili flakes.
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Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
quick and packed with flavor.