This simple 4-ingredient pasta has been my family’s summer tradition for years

This dish proves the best summer dinners don’t need much more than what’s in the garden.

Growing up with a dad who was also a chef, you never quite knew what was going to be on the dinner table on any given night. The one thing that was for certain, was that it was going to be seasonal. He was a firm believer in farm-to-table cooking whether that was harvesting seasonal produce straight from the garden or sourcing it from local farmers’ markets.

In our East Tennessee neck of the woods, summer meant squash and zucchini growing faster than we could consume it, pole beans and peppers by the pound, okra, wild blueberries and blackberries, cucumbers, sweet corn, and most famously heirloom tomatoes galore. I hardly remember a summertime supper that one—or many—of these ingredients weren’t the star of the show. But if there’s one dish that immediately transports me back to family dinners on the porch with the sound of cicadas and whip-poor-wills in the air, it was my dad’s simple summer pasta.

It was a dish he made on repeat all season—spaghetti tossed with juicy tomatoes, pan-fried zucchini, plenty of garlic, good olive oil, and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes. It wasn’t fussy and was perfect for balmy Southern summer nights. It was one of his summer meals that I’ve always loved, but I recently realized that I hadn’t had it since he went to heaven 10 years ago.

In trying to recreate the dish from memory, I asked my mom and siblings what they remembered. My dad wasn’t the kind of cook who measured ingredients or wrote down recipes...so we couldn’t quite recall exactly how he made it, but we all agreed it was super simple, light, and the main ingredients were tomatoes, zucchini, and garlic. My version isn’t exactly the same. Maybe I’ll get a little closer one day, but in the meantime, this comes pretty darn close and reminds me of him every time I make it.

What I Love About This Recipe

This is one of those summer dishes you won’t tire of and can easily throw together in less than 30 minutes after a quick trip to a farm stand or to your own backyard garden. With just four main ingredients, it’s light and fresh, letting peak-season produce shine.

One of my favorite things about this pasta is that there’s no traditional “sauce”—no tomato paste or jarred sauce. Instead, the sweet juices from the fresh tomatoes combine with the starchy pasta water to create a silky coating for the noodles. It’s comforting without being heavy. And while you can certainly top the pasta with some freshly grated parmesan or a dollop of ricotta (which would be delicious), neither feel necessary. It’s a reminder that just a few seasonal ingredients can do all the heavy lifting.

How To Make This Summer Pasta

The recipe makes about 4 servings. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• spaghetti noodles (8 ounces or half a box)

Directions: 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add zucchini seasoned with salt, pepper, and a punch of red pepper flakes. Cook undisturbed on one side until golden, then flip. About 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the noodles to the boiling water. Cook until al dente according to the package directions, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
3. As the pasta cooks, reduce your skillet to medium heat, add more olive oil as needed and sauté the garlic until fragrant. About 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add about 2/3 of the tomatoes to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and cook covered until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the remaining tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes to thicken the sauce.
5. Add the cooked spaghetti with about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss until the tomato juices and starchy pasta water emulsify to create a glossy sauce that evenly coats the noodles, adding more pasta water as needed.
6. Stir the zucchini back into the pasta. Season with additional salt, pepper, and red pepper as desired.

Read the original article on Southern Living