Summer Squash Pasta with Lemony Garlic Sauce

Summer Squash pasta is the perfect healthy pasta dish and is chock-full of goodies like pine nuts, cannellini beans, zucchini, and yellow squash. Seasoned with garlic, lemon, shallots, capers, and red pepper flakes. Toss in some baby arugula for extra crunch and flavor. You’ve got yourself a summer pasta dish worthy of company.

Fresh tasting flavor-filled pasta is what I look for in a warmer-weather pasta meal. Hearty pasta bake meals with lots of heavy tomato sauce, cheese, and (plant-based) protein are perfect for cool weather family meals; but when the weather turns a little warmer, I’m looking for light and fresh flavors like pasta primavera or this extra tasty summer squash pasta!

When making a vegan pasta meal, it’s easy to get into a rut with spaghetti, sauce, and lentils…spaghetti, sauce, and veggies… spaghetti…you get the idea!

I think it was after a long work week with a few too many basic spaghetti meals when the family looked at me with those “not again” eyes that I decided to experiment with my basic pasta meals by adding in extra ingredients so that I wouldn’t have another boring pasta night again!

The trick to making a flavorful inviting vegan pasta meal is to add in all the little bits and pieces that turn simple pasta to a "wow" meal! This summer squash pasta recipe is anything but boring! 

You’ll love this zucchini and squash pasta for its light and zesty lemony garlic flavor. You won’t find a more flavorful summer pasta with the added capers shallots and red pepper flakes. And don’t forget the crunch and peppery zing from baby arugula and the protein from cannellini beans! You’ve got a cacophony of flavors and textures to make this complete vegan meal!

And speaking of those yummy ingredients…

Here is what you will need to make the most delicious flavor-filled summer squash with pasta ever!

• 8 ounces dry pasta – Use your favorite variety of pasta for this recipe. No need to limit your choices to spaghetti noodles. I prefer a small bite-sized pasta shape for this recipe like bow-tie pasta, penne pasta, or corkscrew pasta (like I used today). I do not recommend using very thin pasta such as angel hair pasta which might fall apart with all of the added ingredients.
• water for cooking – of course! I mention it here because you need to reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water to add and make it saucier (just in case).
• cannellini beans – one can
• pine nuts – Make sure to use fresh pine nuts. This flavor quickly turns sour and rancid if not fresh.
• olive oil -I use robust flavor extra virgin olive oil.
• shallots –  You can also substitute with white or yellow onion. I think shallots lend a particular subtle special flavor.
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups summer squash diced – You can use any combination of yellow squash, zucchini, or Mexican gray squash. To make it interesting, I use at least two different types, and sometimes all three!

And for the extra flavor

• salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
• lemon juice
• capers (drained) – If you don’t know what capers are, you are in for a nice surprise! Capers are salty/briny little nibs that are actually unopened flower buds that grow on a bush. They probably get much of their flavor from the brining process but have a bitter tangy flavor all of their own. Look for jarred capers near the pickles and olives in your grocery store. Capers add a slightly bitter salty layer of flavor that contrasts nicely with the mild summer squash, cannellini beans, and pasta. This article by Eating Well “What are Capers?” will give you all the info you need if you are new to this little culinary treasure.
• baby arugula – LIke the capers, arugula also provides a contrast with its peppery flavor and crunch. If you don’t like arugula then substitute it with baby spinach or even kale.
• optional parmesan – we are a vegan family and so I use vegan parmesan I either make myself with cashew, nutritional yeast, and garlic; or purchase my favorite Follow You Heart vegan parmesan cheese.

Let’s make a yellow summer squash and zucchini pasta dish!

The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.

First Step: the Pasta

Follow the directions on the packaging of your chosen pasta. Cook till al dente. Drain the pasta but reserve one-half cup of the pasta water. This will be added later only if your pasta is a little dry and needs more moisture. Adding starchy pasta water helps the sauce to be a little thicker than if you just add plain tap water.

While the pasta is cooking

While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking you can quickly take care of a few other prep items. You may not get to everything, but do what you can to speed up the prep time.

• Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
• Wash the baby arugula (if not purchased prewashed) and gently pat dry.
• Toast the pinenuts. This is an optional step but really brings out the flavor. You must attend to the pine nuts while they are toasting or they will burn. If you can’t commit to this then skip the toasting! To toast the pine nuts, add them to a medium-sized dry skillet. You won’t add oil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook them, stirring constantly until they’re lightly browned – about 3 minutes. As soon as they have turned light golden brown, immediately dump the pine nuts out of the hot skillet to stop the cooking process. Set aside. If you mess up and burn the pinenuts then throw them out! It’s best to have no pinenuts than to have burnt pinenuts.
• Juice the lemon. I’m all about saving time and often use bottled lemon juice. For this recipe, I use freshly squeezed lemon juice. It’s a main ingredient and I don’t want to compromise the bright tart flavor of freshly squeezed lemon. I use this handy citrus juicer to easily get all of the juice I can from each lemon.

• Mince the garlic.
• Remove the papery outer layer and slice/chop the shallot.
• Chop the summer squash and zucchini. I just wash and leave the peeling on the squash. Some people may prefer to peel the summer squash. The skins of summer squash and zucchini are tender enough to eat.

Next step, saute the veggies

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium/high. Once the pan is hot then add the sliced shallots and saute for about two minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to saute for another two minutes. By now the shallots will have begun to soften. Add the summer squash and cannellini beans and continue to cook until the squash is just tender and the beans are warmed. Add the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Putting it all together

Once the zucchini has softened and the shallots are crispy little flavorful bits, add the cooked pasta, capers, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts. Toss everything together to coat well. If the pasta is too dry then add some of the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time. (You may not even need it.)

Now toss in the washed baby arugula and serve!

Serving suggesti0ns

This summer squash pasta is best eaten right away. If you have extra you can save it in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days. It may dry out and need to be refreshed with a little veggie broth before reheating.

You have a complete meal with this protein and veggie-filled pasta dish – but that doesn’t stop me from serving it with my favorite easy vegan white bread machine bread on the side! For more flavorful bread machine bread I suggest olive oil herb bread and if you don’t have a bread machine but still need a fairly quick flavorful bread then try this two-hour method no-knead rosemary garlic bread.

The printable recipe card