These 7 one-pot pasta dinners deliver big summer flavor with less cleanup

Keep dishes to a minimum with these one-pot pasta recipes, all packed with fresh summer flavors.

The dream of summer is all burgers on the grill, potato salad on the picnic table, and ice cream cones dripping down your wrist. The reality is that even in July, not every day can be a cookout. There are busy weeknights when you’re tired, hungry, and not particularly interested in spending an hour cooking dinner. That’s where pasta comes in. It’s comforting, unfussy, and, in the case of these recipes, cooked entirely in a single pot. That means less time at the stove, fewer dishes to wash, and more time to enjoy the long evenings that make summer worth waiting for.

01 of 07

Spaghetti allo Scoglio (Spaghetti With Mixed Seafood)

What’s better for a summer dinner party than a seafood-heavy pasta? This recipe isn’t just one-pot for the sake of convenience. Cooking the pasta directly in the skillet with the shellfish lets it absorb flavor from the clams and mussels as they steam open. You’ll cook the seafood in stages so that everything reaches the proper texture, while a little bottled clam juice serves as an even stronger flavor enhancer.

Get Recipe: Spaghetti allo Scoglio (Spaghetti With Mixed Seafood)

02 of 07

Creamy Avocado-Basil Pasta With Corn and Tomatoes

Ripe avocados, crema, basil, lime juice, garlic, and a serrano chile are blended into a creamy, no-cook sauce that dresses a salad of pasta, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and hearts of palm. The result is a dish that perfectly balances fresh flavors with rich, creamy ones.

Get Recipe: Creamy Avocado-Basil Pasta With Corn and Tomatoes

03 of 07

Creamy Garlic Pasta

All you need for this pantry pasta is spaghetti, a head of garlic, olive oil, honey, Parm, and a lemon or lime. You’ll cook the garlic gently in oil for 20 minutes, transforming it into something equally sweet and savory with beautiful toasted notes. After that, emulsify the tender allium with pasta water, oil, and cheese, and you’ll be surprised by how complex and silky a sauce with so few ingredients can be. Lime juice and honey are background players, balancing the savoriness with a hit of acid and sweetness.

Get Recipe: Creamy Garlic Pasta

04 of 07

3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Not only is this a one-pot pasta recipe, but it also comes together in 10 minutes or less. The trick is to cook the pasta in a minimal amount of water, leaving you with concentrated starchy liquid that forms the base of the sauce. Evaporated milk keeps the sauce from scorching and also works as a powerful emulsifier. Use any good melting cheese you like to customize the flavor in a way you never could with boxed mac and cheese.

Get Recipe: 3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese

05 of 07

Greek Pasta Salad

This pasta salad makes for a bright, briny, and refreshing counterpoint to salty, smoky grilled chicken thanks to creamy feta and lots of fresh dill. A couple of tricks help improve flavor penetration throughout the dish. First, you’ll toss the pasta with a portion of the lemony red wine vinaigrette while it’s still warm. Then add the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, pepperoncini, pickled red onion, dill, and feta, and let the fully dressed dish rest in the fridge for 30 minutes so the flavors can meld.

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06 of 07

Italian Seafood-Salad Pasta Salad With Vietnamese Noodles

This recipe comes in with a hot take right out of the gate: Asian noodles make a better base for pasta salad than Italian pasta. You’ll be convinced once you mix poached shrimp, crab, and squid dressed with lemon juice and zest, olive oil, minced garlic, red chile pepper, and chopped parsley with dried Vietnamese rice noodles. Their springy texture is a great match for the seafood, and they absorb the dressing’s flavors particularly well.

Get Recipe: Italian Seafood-Salad Pasta Salad With Vietnamese Noodles

07 of 07

Penne With Melted-Vegetable Sauce

The concept for this pasta is simple, but the technique coaxes flavors and textures from ordinary vegetables you wouldn’t think possible. You’ll cook a mixture of potatoes, onion, fennel, and string beans until they’re so soft they can be crushed between your fingers, melting into a sauce that coats the penne. And everything comes together in the same pot of boiling water.

Get Recipe: Penne With Melted-Vegetable Sauce

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