15 Plant-Based Summer Pasta Dishes

Pasta dishes are great for any season but during the summer, lighter and more refreshing pasta recipes are preferred. From cold noodle dishes to pasta salads to noodle lettuce wraps, we’ve got you covered with our best summer pasta dishes. Enjoy!

1. Cucumber Noodles With Spicy Tahini Sauce

Source: Cucumber Noodles With Spicy Tahini Sauce

If you’re trying to eat a diet high in nutrient-dense, juicy foods, then these Cucumber Noodles With Spicy Tahini Sauce by Rachel Carr are something you’ll want to introduce in your rotation. Cucumber is one of the best foods for weight loss, skin health, and overall healing. Tahini is a great source of healthy fats, is the base of this sauce that has a rich, creamy texture and just the right amount of spice!

2. Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles

Source: Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles

The main ingredient in this dish is Chinese-style sesame paste which is very different from Middle Eastern tahini. This is made with roasted sesame seeds. These Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles by Pavani Nandula are simple to make. All the ingredients are mixed into a sauce and then tossed with the cooked noodles. You can add more vegetables if you like.

3. Somen Noodles With Nori Dressing

Source: Somen Noodles With Nori Dressing

Somen noodles are very thin white Japanese noodles made of wheat flour and are usually served cold. As this recipe proves, it is a breeze to make a delicious and filling meal with Somen noodles as the base. This Somen Bowl by Lan Pham Wilson contains a savory-sweet broth spiked with soy sauce and maple syrup, refreshing seaweed dressings, and plenty of garnishes, including sliced cucumbers, kimchi, scallions, and nuts. Yum!

4. Vermicelli Noodles and Tofu Bowl

Source: Vermicelli Noodles and Tofu Bowl

This Vermicelli Noodles and Tofu Bowl by Dominique Ebra comes together to create a variety of flavors and textures from the crunchy veggies to the crispy tofu!

5. Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles

Source: Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles

These Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles by Maggie Wescott are sauteed with garlic, kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts and then tossed with a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce. This easy zucchini noodle pasta is packed full of flavor and is a healthy alternative to wheat pasta.

6. Creamy Pesto Potato Noodles

Source: Creamy Pesto Potato Noodles

These Creamy Pesto Potato Noodles by Jordan and Clark Cord are incredibly easy. Once the potatoes are spiralized, everything comes together quickly in one pan. As long as you can refrain from drinking the creamy pesto sauce, dinner should be on the table within 30 minutes.

7. Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Source: Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad by Denise Perrault is oil-free, with creamy dill pickle ranch dressing, tofu bacon, tomatoes, celery, onions, fresh dill, and yes, more pickles!

8. Pasta Salad With Chili Lemon Sauce

Source: Pasta Salad With Chili Lemon Sauce

Pasta salads are one of the best dishes to bring or make for a party or event! They are not only easy to make but they are great to travel and make in advance foods too! There is something about chili and lemon together that is just so flavorful! The slight bit of heat from the chili mixed with the fresh kick of lemon in this Pasta Salad by Michele Elizabeth is the perfect match!

9. Refreshing Cucumber Bruschetta Pasta Salad

Source: Refreshing Cucumber Bruschetta Pasta Salad

This Refreshing Cucumber Bruschetta by Respectful Living is a lovely appetizer. It can also be made into a pasta dish (just add pasta, chill, and serve cold). It is a great summer treat! This recipe is party-size and may be cut in half for 2-4 people.

10. Green Goddess Zucchini Pasta

Source: Green Goddess Zucchini Pasta

This Green Goddess Zucchini Pasta by Angelina Papanikolaou is the easiest and creamiest green goddess zucchini pasta and is loaded with fresh and healthy ingredients. Plus, it’ll be on your dinner table in just twenty minutes!

11. Asparagus Lemon-Ginger Pesto with Black Pasta

Source: Asparagus Lemon-Ginger Pesto with Black Pasta

This Asparagus Lemon-Ginger Pesto with Black Pasta by Teri Macovei is not a classic pasta dish. This recipe brings together a unique combination of textures, flavors, aromas, and colors. It’s a sensational plant-based dish made to captivate not only the eye but also the taste buds.

12. Garden Picnic Pasta Salad with Veggies, Herbs, and Orange-Miso Tahini Dressing

Source: Garden Picnic Pasta Salad with Veggies, Herbs, and Orange-Miso Tahini Dressing

This Garden Picnic Pasta Salad by John Mackey is a creamy umami bomb of earthy deliciousness that’s perfect for dinner or lunch — and for leftovers the next day! Pasta is tossed with shredded kale, blanched broccoli and zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and plenty of fresh herbs, then topped with a simple, healthy, and citrusy dressing. It’s easy to prepare and can be done the day before so it’s ready to go when you want.

13. Roasted Summer Vegetable Pesto Pasta

Source: Roasted Summer Vegetable Pesto Pasta

Ever browse the farmers’ market and think you’d love to buy all the veggies but have no idea what to make with them? This Roasted Summer Vegetable Pesto Pasta by Molly Thompson is the answer. If you pick up another veggie in season, feel free to swap it out! You can’t go wrong with any roasted veggie, and they’re all great for fighting inflammation.

14. Peanut and Lime Thai Soba Noodle Salad

Source: Peanut and Lime Thai Soba Noodle Salad

This delicious Thai Noodle Salad by Taryn Fitz-Gerald is vibrant, zesty, and full of flavor! It is great at room temperature or cold, making it the perfect versatile dish for the summer months. Not only is it beautiful to look at thanks to the incredible variety of vegetables, but it is also nutrient-packed.

15. Green Onion Peanut Noodle Lettuce Wraps

Source: Green Onion Peanut Noodle Lettuce Wraps

These Green Onion Peanut Noodle Lettuce Wraps by Cameron Keller are the perfect refreshing hand-held bite for a sultry summer day. Vermicelli rice noodles, cooked until tender, soak up a spicy sriracha peanut sauce, which is then folded with fresh scallions. And when laid across the rib of a crispy leaf of romaine and finished with more green onions – both as ringlets and a tie – as well as toasted sesame seeds, it becomes a very delicious and simple snack you gotta’ try!

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