Who’s ready for squash season? This summer squash pasta skillet is a simple, flavorful dinner that comes together in about 20 minutes.
I’ve never met a 20-minute pasta I didn’t love.
Happy Monday! Can you believe it’s July 15? If you count summer as June through August, July 15 feels like the middle of it — peak produce season. Everything tastes so good right now.
It was tempting to add corn, tomatoes and extra herbs, but I kept the recipe focused and flavorful with just a handful of ingredients.
Summer in a skillet
That’s exactly what this feels like. Bright summer squash, nutty brown butter, creamy goat cheese and toasty pine nuts all come together quickly. It’s great for an easy weeknight dinner, for prepping lunches, or as a side to grilled chicken or steak.
Season the dish to your taste as you cook and just before serving. I keep it simple — brown butter, squash, goat cheese — and finish with fresh basil and a few cracks of black pepper. A few shavings of Parmesan work well if you want more savory richness.
The pine nuts add a toasty flavor and a pleasant crunch. I’ve been putting them on everything lately.
I’ve made other quick pastas like this before and they’re staples in my kitchen — fast, satisfying and versatile.
One of the things I love is how flexible this is: perfect solo as a main, or served as a side alongside protein. Leftovers are just as good — even straight from the fridge.
Give it a try for a fast, seasonal dinner.
Dinner is on me.
Summer Squash Pasta
Summer Squash Pasta Skillet
2
to 4 people
20 mins
20 mins
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces of your favorite pasta
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
- 1 small summer squash, sliced into rounds
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium-low. Add the pine nuts and toast, tossing often, until golden and fragrant, about 5–6 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- In the same or a clean skillet over medium heat, add the butter. Whisk and cook until the butter browns slightly and you see golden bits form. Add the garlic and the squash rounds, toss to coat, and cook about 5 minutes until the zucchini softens. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the squash and reduce the heat to low. Toss to combine and coat the pasta with butter. Crumble in the goat cheese and toss again. Add a few more cracks of black pepper and stir in the toasted pine nuts.
- Toss in the fresh basil and serve immediately.
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Give me all the brown butter every day.