9 Easy Summer Recipes (Ready to Eat in 30 Minutes or Less!)

What are easy summer recipes?

Summer nights were made for outdoor BBQs and pool parties, and turning on the oven is far from ideal when you have to make dinner during this time of year.

We think that when it comes to easy summer recipes, simple prep and fast cooking times are a must.

That’s why we wanted to share our top favorite oven-less meals that are ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. Continue reading to find out more!

1. Spaghetti al Pesto Recipe

Spaghetti al Pesto

This easy summer recipe calls for 8 ingredients and takes just 25 minutes to prepare. We love how straightforward it is to make.

All you need to do is mix up a fresh pesto sauce with a mortar and pestle (or use your favorite store-bought kind), then boil some spaghetti noodles until al dente.

Lastly, stir the sauce and spaghetti together and dig into this quick and easy vegetarian-friendly meal.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

2. Buttery Parmesan and Tomato Spaghetti with No Sauce Recipe

Buttery Parmesan and Tomato Spaghetti with No Sauce

If you’re craving spaghetti and meatballs but don’t have time for meatballs, try this no sauce pasta recipe instead.

The ingredients are spaghetti noodles, butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, and some simple seasonings.

To make this recipe, bring water to a boil and cook the noodles. In the meantime, sauté garlic in a pan with melted butter and then add halved cherry tomatoes.

Let them soften to your liking, then take them off the heat. Once the noodles are al dente, reserve some pasta cooking water and drain the spaghetti.

Mix everything together in the warm pan, gradually adding parmesan cheese as you go. If the cheese isn’t sticking to the noodles, pour in a touch of the pasta cooking water and stir to combine.

Lastly, garnish with fresh basil, and enjoy this buttery, no sauce spaghetti.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

3. Balsamic Chicken Tomato Salad Recipe

Balsamic Chicken Breast Tomato Salad

Pasta is all well and good, but if you’re looking for a heartier meal this summer, you can make this balsamic chicken tomato salad.

You are welcome to add leafy greens to the recipe as well, but the main ingredients include chicken breasts, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, parsley, and a balsamic vinegar marinade.

Simply marinate the raw chicken breasts, and while you’re waiting, prep all the vegetables for the salad. Next, get a grill pan warmed up and add olive oil.

Cook the chicken for about four minutes per side (or until no longer pink in the middle), then let them rest and slice them before adding them to the salad.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

4. Spicy Burrata Pasta Recipe

Spicy Burrata Pasta

With less than 140 calories per serving, there is no need to feel guilty about indulging in a plate of spicy burrata pasta.

Besides burrata cheese, you will also need rigatoni pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes, olive oil, basil, and garlic.

If you want to try this recipe, lightly sauté garlic in olive oil. Next, add the sun-dried tomatoes and peas, and stir in the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, basil, and burrata cheese at the very end.

Other vegetables, such as bell peppers or pepperoncini, would add nice color and texture to this easy summer recipe.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

5. Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe

Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad

We’re already hungry just thinking about this easy summer recipe, and we love how it is versatile enough to be served either warm or cold.

The main ingredients consist of rotini pasta, shrimp, black olives, zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and a homemade sauce to tie it all together.

Make sure to season the pasta salad with salt and pepper, and consider adding fresh thyme and parsley on top before serving.

Pasta salad is often thought of as a side dish, but this is becoming one of our new favorite summer entrees.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

6. Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Carbonara sauce consists of just two ingredients: grated Pecorino Romano cheese and egg yolks.

Before making the sauce, warm up a skillet and cook the guanciale pork (you could use pancetta or bacon if need be).

Next, boil some spaghetti noodles until al dente and stir them in with the pork. Finally, whisk the cheese and egg yolks in a medium bowl.

Remove the pan from the heat and gradually mix in the sauce until everything is evenly coated, then serve immediately and enjoy every last bite of this decadent dish.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

7. Bucatini Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

We would find it hard to say no to this cheesy pasta dish! This Italian classic calls for bucatini pasta, freshly cracked black pepper, butter, Pecorino Romano, and Parmesan cheese.

The recipe instructions are simple enough, cook and drain the pasta then melt butter and add the cracked black pepper and a bit of pasta cooking water to a saucepan.

Toss the bucatini into the sauce, making sure it is still hot enough for the cheeses to melt and start to thicken the butter sauce.

Bucatini cacio e pepe is simple yet decadent, and you certainly won’t regret trying this easy summer recipe.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

8. Tomato Gazpacho with Burrata Cheese Recipe

Tomato Gazpacho with Burrata Cheese

Gazpacho is a type of cold soup that originated in Spain, and this version of gazpacho is sure to cool you off all summer long.

All you need to do is blend tomatoes and a few other fresh vegetables with plain yogurt and red wine vinegar.

Next, gradually pour in olive oil as the blender runs until the gazpacho reaches a smooth consistency.

It is best to make this easy summer recipe ahead of time and refrigerate it for a while (at least an hour) so it stays cold as you’re eating it.

Get the full recipe and directions here.

9. Chilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Chilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Your tastebuds will sing once you take a bite of this! We love this cold dish because it features lots of fresh ingredients and simple flavors.

The vegetables the recipe author includes in this easy summer recipe are green onions, bell peppers, red onions, cucumbers, and olives.

Feel free to add or omit certain veggies to make it your own. For example, you could add artichoke hearts and feta cheese if you want a Mediterranean-style pasta salad.

No matter what other vegetables you decide to add, this pasta salad would be ideal for a summer picnic since it uses a balsamic vinaigrette instead of a mayo-based sauce.

Get the full recipe and directions from Savor the Best.

We hope you enjoy making and sharing these easy summer recipes with your friends and family.

All of these oven-free dinners can be customized to your liking; best of all, you will be able to have dinner ready to eat in half an hour or less.

Tell us about your favorite recipe from this list, and have a great summer!


If you like this post, we think you’ll really like our No Sauce Pasta post.

Easy Summer Recipes

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