Summer Cavatelli with Corn, Tomatoes and Zucchini
This pasta dish just screams summer! Fresh cavatelli pasta is combined with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and marinara and topped with basil and Pecorino Romano. This meal comes together in less than 20 minutes – perfect to whip up on busy weeknights. Try this Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad and Warm Pasta Salad with Corn and Zucchini for more of my favorite summer pastas.
I went to Copperhill, a Long Island restaurant, a few years ago where they served a similar pasta dish, which is what inspired this recipe. My husband really enjoyed it. He loved the summer veggies and didn’t miss the meat!
How to Make Summer Pasta
Everything cooks really quickly in this recipe, so make sure to have all of your ingredients prepped before you get started.
Cook the garlic for one minute in olive oil. Add in the tomatoes and salt and then the corn and zucchini. Pour in the marinara and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the veggies. Sprinkle in the cheese, remaining oil, salt, and pepper and cook for one minute.If the pasta isn’t saucy enough, add in a little pasta water and then top with basil and more cheese.
Variations:
Pasta: You can find fresh or frozen cavatelli at any Italian specialty store. If you can’t find it, sub it with any short pasta, like orecchiette, fusilli, or rotini. If you aren’t using fresh pasta, sub with 8 ounces of dried pasta. Meat: If you really want meat for some extra protein, add diced chicken breast, shrimp, or Italian chicken sausage. Vegetables: Swap the zucchini for yellow squash or the cherry tomatoes for grape tomatoes. If you don’t have fresh corn, frozen will work. Eggplant would also be delicious if you want an extra veggie. Cheese: Substitute Pecorino Romano with parmesan or asiago.
More Summer Pasta Recipes You’ll Love:
Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus and Marinara Sauce Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes Balsamic Roasted Veggie and White Bean Pasta Orecchiette Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Eggplant Gnocchi Caprese
