This risotto-like pasta dish that celebrates summer with tomatoes, zucchini, corn and pesto. It all melts together with mozzarella cheese for a comforting dish the whole family will love.
Best of all, thanks to using orzo pasta, this dish all cooks together in one pot for easy cleanup. It's a perfect easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
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This time of year, there is a wealth of produce available that can be used in pasta dishes, grain bowls, or this summer farro soup.
Or if you prefer to make a summer pasta that's keto-friendly, check out this one made with zoodles (zucchini pasta) that's quick sautéed with corn and tomatoes.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Family-friendly. This vegetarian dinner is one that everyone at the table will love.
- Minimal meal prep. The only meal prep you'll need to do is dice the onion, cut the tomatoes, and cut the corn kernels from the cob.
- One-pot dish. Thanks to using fast cooking orzo, this entire dish cooks together in one pot.
- Comfort food. The risotto-like texture with melted mozzarella make this a perfect comfort food dinner.
- Fresh. This pasta dish is a great way to use peak-season produce.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for a complete listing of the ingredients, measurements, and directions.
- Yellow onion - White onion is fine as a substitute but yellow onion is the best choice. Do not use red onion as it will be too sweet.
- Cherry tomatoes - Grape tomatoes and plum (Roma) tomatoes are good substitutes. You need fresh tomatoes for this pasta but beefsteak tomatoes will be too juicy for this pasta dish.
- Orzo - Orzo is a pasta shape that looks like rice. It cooks fast as compared to other pasta shapes and contributes to the risotto-like texture of this pasta dish.
- Fresh sweet corn - I haven't tried frozen corn, but it should work fine if you don't have fresh corn on hand.
📝 Meal Prep Notes
Detailed instructions for making this broccoli cheese casserole are in the recipe card below, but here are some notes for meal prep. Since this summer pasta comes together quickly, I recommend prepping everything in advance.
Yellow Onion Prep
- Cut off the the top of the onion (not the root end) and slice it in half lengthwise from the root to the top of the onion. A chef's knife is perfect for this. Remove the outer papery skin.
- Lay one of the halves cut side down on a cutting board. Hold the root end with one hand and carefully make cuts that are horizontal to the cutting board. The more cuts you make, the smaller the dice will be. Cut the onion as close to the root as possible while keeping the onion together.
- Next, make vertical cuts with the knife tip pointing at the root end. These cuts are perpendicular to the cutting board.
- Last, cut slices downward that are horizontal to the root end. Perfectly diced onion will spill onto the cutting board.
- Repeat with the other onion half.
- Keep a firm hold of the root end during the entire process.
Garlic Prep
- Lightly smash the cloves of garlic with the flat side of a chef's knife. This will loosen the thin papery skins. Remove the skins and mince the garlic.
- For larger cloves of garlic, I find it easier to smash them with the flat side of a chef's knife before mincing them.
Zucchini Prep
- Thoroughly wash and cut off the top and bottom of the zucchini.
- Slice it in half lengthwise and slice each half in half again, lengthwise. You will have 4 long wedges.
- Line them up horizontal to each other and slice them into pie-shaped pieces that are ⅛" thick.
Corn Prep
- Remove the corn husks and corn silk and lay the corn cob on a cutting board. Using a chef's knife, slice the kernels off one side of the cob.
- Turn the cob and repeat until all of the kernels are sliced off.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Add a ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes if you like a little heat in this pasta. But don't overdo it - this isn't designed to be an arrabiata sauce.
- The pesto has a nice touch of acid which brightens this summer pasta disih, but if you use a store-bought pesto, you may want to add a couple of squeezes of lemon juice.
- For more lemon flavor, finish the pasta with lemon zest.
🥩 Tips for Omnivores
Shredded chicken and roasted salmon are both good choices with this pasta. If you take this path, you will need to add additional sauce.
🙋♀️ FAQ
Yes. To prevent the pasta from getting soggy, be sure to cook the pasta only until the pasta is barely al dente.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid. Therefore, when you reheat it, add some water to the pot to regain the saucy texture.
📇 More Favorite Summer Pasta Recipes
There are a few of my favorite summer pasta dishes that use peak-summer produce: Red Pepper Penne; Sicilian Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes, Capers; and Creamy Mexican Green Spaghetti.
Click on the below photos below to get the recipes.
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One-Pot Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion ½ large onion
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or half that amount of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup dried orzo
- 1 ⅓ cups water or vegetarian broth
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 ear fresh corn (about 1 cup of corn kernels)
- 3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 3 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Meal Prep. Prep all of the summer veggies ahead of time. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, halve the cherry tomatoes, and slice the corn kernels from the cob. Slice off the top and bottom of the zucchini and slice it lengthwise into 4 long pieces. Lay them flat on a cutting board and slice them into ⅛" thick wedges.
- Sauté. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and toss to coat them with with onions and garlic. Sauté for another 7-10 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
- Simmer. Add the orzo to the pan and 1 cup of water and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. When the liquid is nearly absorbed add another ¼ cup of water, zucchini, and corn kernels and continue to simmer, stirring often. Check the orzo pasta for doneness every couple of minutes, adding additional water as needed. The pasta dish will be saucy similar to a risotto.
- Stir. Turn off the stove and stir the pesto, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil into the hot pasta until the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Serve warm in a large bowl, topped with additional basil and Parmesan cheese.
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