This is a summer meal if I’ve ever seen one!

This summer salmon spaghetti is so fresh, satisfying and delicious. It’s a big bowl of garden vegetables tossed with grilled salmon and hot pasta. The flavor is incredible, it’s light enough to enjoy on a hot day and it’s very customizable if you have other veggies on hand.

I am so into these marinated vegetables right now. A few years ago I started thinly slicing zucchini and letting it sit in a vinaigrette for a few minutes before tossing. It’s almost like massaging kale before eating: it removes the chew and any bitterness. This is exactly how I make it in my chickpea pasta lunch salad and we all love it. 

Another thing that draws us to this recipe is enjoying the grilled salmon with pasta. For no particular reason, we rarely have salmon with pasta. We tend to have a grain or roasted/grilled vegetables with our salmon and everyone likes it that way. If we do have pasta, it’s a tiny cut like orzo. 

So serving the salmon right in the longer noodles makes this feel special and fancy. Plus, the way that it flakes into buttery shreds works perfectly with the spaghetti! A bit of salmon is in every bite and that’s just the way we like it. 

The key with this dish is to season every layer well. Then it will taste absolutely amazing when it’s finished. We’re marinating the vegetables. Boiling the pasta in salted water. Making a garlicky herb spice blend for the salmon on the grill. 

Then tossing everything together with the hot pasta to turn it into a summer dream! 

YUM.

Now – I like to add at least six minced cloves of garlic into this dish. With that and the crushed red pepper, there is a slight bite to the pasta. Sometimes my kids will say it’s spicy. So feel free to adjust! You can use less garlic or skip the crushed red pepper. 

I really love it in the recipe because it adds a pop. The pasta is hot when added to the veggies, so it does warm things up a bit!

Speaking of, this is excellent served hot but also really great straight from the fridge. It’s an excellent lunch leftover meal. You may need to let it sit at room temperature because the olive oil can solidify in the fridge, but it’s fabulous either way. 

Feel free to add more veggies, different veggies or even different herbs from the garden. If you’re not a salmon lover, it could also work with grilled chicken too!

Summer Salmon Spaghetti

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Summer Salmon Spaghetti

This summer salmon spaghetti is a favorite in our house! Marinated garden vegetables, lots of garlic and fresh basil, grilled salmon and hot pasta make for a delicious light and satisfying meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini squash, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• kosher salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 salmon filets
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pound spaghetti
• ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
• fresh basil, for topping

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, squash, tomatoes, garlic and basil. You want a large bowl for this because we’re going to add the pasta directly to it later. Add in a big pinch of salt and pepper, the crushed red pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or even up to 2 hours.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the directions. While you’re waiting for the pasta to boil, start the salmon so both the salmon and pasta can be done around the same time.
• Preheat the grill to your highest setting. Season the salmon all over with the salt and pepper. Stir together the parsley, basil and garlic powder. Sprinkle it all over the salmon too.
• Once the grill is hot, place the salmon right on the grates. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, then use a spatula to gently flip the salmon. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes more, or a little more if you have thick pieces of salmon. You want it to be opaque and easily flake with a fork. We’re going to flake the salmon for the pasta, so you can slice into the center and see if it’s done without worrying about ruining the presentation.
• Once the pasta is done, drain it and immediately add it to the marinated vegetables. Toss well. Flake the salmon with a fork and add it in too. If you need a big more olive oil, you can add that now as well.
• Toss well until everything is combined. Taste and season more if needed. Sprinkle on the parmesan and fresh basil. Serve!

Deeeelish.

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Nothing makes me happier than BLT wraps for lunch!

These BLT wraps with jalapeno ranch are such a fun twist on the classic. They are super satisfying, light and refreshing and have a little pop of heat. The jalapeno ranch is a spin on my classic ranch and we love it this time of year. It tastes garden-fresh! 

Something about the juicy tomatoes, crisp romaine and crunchy, savory bacon just hits the spot. It’s one of those classic summer flavors. I love to make the combo into a salad or even a pasta salad.

Now, I’m not sure that anything can beat my marinated tomato BLT. That is my favorite summer sandwich of all time. The marinated tomatoes are incredible! It’s like a tomato salad on top of the sandwich. 

However, we all know that I love a twist. I could potentially eat the same thing over and over again… as long as it has a minor twist! Most of my recipes exist because of a minor twist, so there’s that. 

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s not a recipe at all. It’s more of a method. You can add as much lettuce, tomato and bacon that you want. Or as much as your wrap can hold. The amount of ranch is up to you too! 

If there is a bottled ranch you really love, you can use that in a pinch.  (more…)

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This has got to be your summer breakfast for the next month!

This peaches and cream baked oatmeal is so satisfying. The ideal summer breakfast, if you will. FIlled with juicy peaches, old fashioned oats, plain greek yogurt and maple syrup for a touch of sweetness. 

It’s not overly sweet, but if you’ve made any of my baked oatmeals before, you know I love to refer to them as oatmeal CAKE. It truly is like peach oatmeal cake. And I could not be more obsessed. 

I’ve been a huge fan of peaches and cream oatmeal my entire life. Like, we are talking that it was my favorite comfort food growing up. I’d pick it over any dessert or pizza or anything like that when I was a kid.

I’ve already shared a peaches and cream oatmeal cup recipe. And I do have a baked version that came out of another cookbook. But this one uses my classic baked oatmeal recipe – the one that tastes like oatmeal cake – and includes a crunchy streusel on top for an extra pop. 

I love that this recipe holds together: you can cut actual squares of baked oatmeal and freeze them. The squares also make it easy to drizzle on cream, milk or top with more yogurt.

Here’s how I make it!

First up, the diced peaches. I leave the skin on mine because we don’t mind it (I actually like it), but feel free to peel the peaches before dicing. I can’t tell a huge difference when everything is mixed together. 

Then, the dry ingredients. Oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. 

Next, the wet ingredients. Eggs, plain greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup. If you don’t want to use maple syrup, you can use honey. Or even the same amount of sugar, just put it in the dry ingredients. 

Finally, the streusel. This part is definitely optional and I’ve made many baked oatmeals recipes without it. But it adds the most wonderful brown sugar crunch to the oatmeal! You mix together brown sugar, flour, butter and a pinch of cinnamon together until it becomes a sandy texture. Sprinkle it all over top and bake!

I love this recipe because you can make it ahead of time. You can serve it warm or chilled right from the fridge. It’s so easy to reheat, whether it’s single portions or the whole dish. 

It can be the base for an oatmeal bar, where you serve different fruits, nuts, seeds and an array of nut butters for topping. Also! It can be meal-prepped for breakfast or lunch because it holds up so well.  (more…)

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My favorite summer dinner recipes are here!

There are many more nights in the summer where I just don’t feel like cooking dinner. Like at all.

Mostly because it’s hot, we’ve been out and about all day, it’s a million degrees, the heat has zapped our appetites and… it’s hot. Did I mention it’s hot? The sun can be draining and before I know it, it’s 5PM and we’re all starving and need something quick on the table.

Regardless of if I want to cook or not, corn and tomatoes are ALWAYS a staple here in the summer! Sometimes I make them fancy, sometimes not. Some of the recipes below don’t require any cooking and some come together fast – think summer comfort food that we all love. These are some of the oldie but goodie recipes on the blog!

Would love to hear your favorite summer dinner recipes below!

15 Favorite Summer Dinner Recipes

20 minute Summer Squash Pasta

This is one of my favorites – every time of year! It has so much flavor and crunch. While it does require actual cooking, it comes together so super quickly. It’s a wonderful quick summer pasta and leftovers taste great too.

Summer Chickpea Salad

I’ve rambled about this salad forever but it’s just SO good. It’s a great meal prep salad to have in the fridge, and makes any meal come together quickly. If you haven’t prepped it ahead of time, it doesn’t requite any cooking. I love to eat this with toasted sourdough or even thrown on a bed of lettuce. Or in a pita!

Stone Fruit Caprese with Basil Vinaigrette 

Any and all forms of caprese salad are a serious go-to in this house, especially once our tomatoes are peaked. Adding stone fruit to this gives it a fancy boost and uses up more seasonal produce too. The basil vinaigrette is something you can make a day ahead of time too.

Grilled Corn, Tomato Avocado Salad with Chimichurri

There is nothing better than corn, tomatoes and avocado! Throw the corn on the grill and then toss these delish ingredients together. I love them drizzled with chimichurri but truly you could use any dressing you love here.

Blueberry Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic

My blueberry salad is perfection. The almonds take a few minutes to make, but since it’s the only part of the salad that requires cooking, you can do it! Or just use some toasted sliced almonds instead. The creamy balsamic is a delish dressing to prep ahead for the week. (more…)

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Welcome to your new favorite lunch!

Or snack. Or app. Even a party passer! Basically, your new favorite way to use up grilled salmon. My summer salmon spread is incredible, packed with red peppers, fresh herbs, yogurt, lemon, green onions and more.

Spread it on a sandwich, scoop on toast, serve it with crackers or crudités. The options are endless for this baby and I can’t wait to tell you about it. 

Now, this recipe was born out of me having quite a bit of leftover grilled salmon one Monday afternoon. I made it for dinner on Sunday night and we headed to the pool Monday. I opened the fridge to prep a few snacks and spied all the leftover salmon. Instantly, I grabbed a bunch of other ingredients and within minutes, had a delicious salmon spread that we enjoyed all afternoon.

This was a big deal because generally, I do not like salmon salad. And when I say salad, I mean the kind that is mayo-based and creamy and served like tuna salad. I don’t know, but it’s not my thing. And I do like tuna prepared this way.

But something hit me that morning and I knew that I HAD to make this spread. I had leftover pita chips ready to go, cucumbers and carrots as well as toasted sourdough for sandwiches.

Oh my GOSH. New summer snack unlocked. This was a dreamy hit – so filling and satisfying and light. Not overly creamy or wet, but made with just enough creaminess to bring it together.

And the grilled salmon! Well, that smoky flavor really took things over the top. (more…)

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This might be my current favorite meal!

This grilled sourdough pizza topped with an italian chopped salad is everything I want to eat right now. It’s so flavorful and satisfying. We ALL love it. 

If you’re looking for something new and exciting to make for dinner, this is it. Chop up all your salad ingredients, throw the pizza dough on the grill and then pile the salad high on top. 

Slice, serve and eat!

It’s perfect. 

I’ve been making these grilled garlic baguettes with italian chopped salad for a few years and we LOVE them. It’s such a fun, easy meal and one that really hits the spot. 

And one day, when I didn’t have any baguettes, I threw some of my pizza dough on the grill instead. I do this weekly but had never topped it with the italian salad. It’s fantastic. 

First up: the crust. You don’t HAVE to use a sourdough crust, but it’s easily my favorite. I can’t stop. 

I love this pizza crust so much. You do need to make it the night before, but once it’s mixed, all you have to do is wait. It’s simple and so wonderful. I like to have two or three on hand in the fridge or freezer, so that way if we’re craving pizza, I have this ready to go. 

Yes, I still have my classic non-sourdough pizza crust recipe too. But since I feel my sourdough starter daily, I always have discard to use. So I use *fresh* discard for this recipe, meaning the leftover of my starter as soon as it’s re-fed. I haven’t used the discard that has sat in the fridge for awhile, so just keep that in mind. 

The sourdough crust is SO chewy and tangy. We all love it – in fact my kids say that it’s their favorite pizza out of any other pizza we order. I either make it on the grill or in a cast iron skillet. Those are my two favorite ways. And they always win. 

Next up: the salad. 

We all know my love of chopped salads. The best salad to ever be a salad! Having a bit of everything right there on the spoon is ideal. A chopped salad is elite for that exact reason – you can get a bite of each ingredient, an array of texture, flavor and a drizzle of dressing. 

My go-to italian chopped salad has salami, chickpeas, iceberg, red onion, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, banana peppers and fresh mozzarella. Oh and smoked provolone cheese! All drizzled with my italian dressing that is super super zesty. I could drink the dressing with a spoon.  (more…)

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I’ve got the best summer weeknight meals for you!

These are our favorite summer meals – the ones I find myself making constantly over the season. We all love these dishes and they are mostly easy to throw together. Plus, they utilize the best of the summer produce.

I also take into account some of my favorite sauces and dressings – vinaigrettes, pesto and chimichurri – things that I can prepare ahead of time and use in other meals too. I find that condiments like that are a staple in my fridge over the summer and help to elevate any meal, even breakfast.

I have a few methods for our summer dinner routine. One is to make something on the grill – a meat or fish, and serve it with a grain salad of sorts. Another is to make a big clean-out-the-fridge pasta with lots of fresh ingredients. You’ll see these methods used in the dishes below and I find that it’s so helpful to have an idea of what to make.

What are some of your favorite summer dinners?!

20 Summer Weeknight Meals

Grilled chimichurri chicken with couscous salad

Slow roasted tomato farro salad

20 minute summer squash pasta

Grilled honey mustard chicken and broccoli

Grilled romaine salads

Summer grilled chicken rice bowls

Cheesy pesto lovers pasta

Pesto caprese puff pastry pizza

Jalapeño peach grilled chicken

Summer grilled salmon with chimichurri

Burst tomato burrata pasta

Marinated tomato BLTs

Melted zucchini baked ziti

Italian chopped salad on grilled garlic baguettes

Burst tomato pasta with chickpeas

Summer risotto stuffed peppers

Mini pesto chicken meatball soup

Summer BBQ chicken grilled pizza

Grilled hot honey chicken with corn salad

Cheeseburger salad with pickle vinaigrette 

BBQ hot honey chicken with citrus salad

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I will turn anything into a caesar! 

This grilled zucchini caesar is incredible. Hearty chunks of zucchini that are grilled until slightly charred, drizzled with my greek yogurt caesar dressing, topped with shaved parmesan and some toasty garlicky sourdough breadcrumbs. 

I LOVE it. 

This is an easy summer dish and one that is so super delicious, especially if you’re a major fan of caesar salad like we are. 

And as usual, it’s super versatile. It can be a great side dish – that is how Eddie loves it, of course. I could eat this as an actual meal. It’s light but filling and if I have some toasted sourdough on the side… yes please. 

You could also toss something extra with it: maybe some grilled chicken or even serve it alongside grilled filet. Make it your caesar of the summer, you know? 

I’ve made brussels caesar, asparagus caesar and I think that a green bean caesar might be next. I’m all about my caesar pasta salad too. That flavor and texture is so wonderful!

Since zucchini is on the softer side, I was afraid that this would not have enough texture for me. Hence – the sourdough breadcrumbs.

They add so much flavor AND texture. I’m all about the crispy crunch and this is exactly what the dish requires. Without the crumbs, you’re just going to have soft grilled zucchini with a dressing. And cheese. 

Not that I’d ever complain about dressing and cheese, but you know! 

Let’s talk about the grill. This is my favorite grill pan and it has been for years. It has held up so well – I have two of them because sometimes I grill a TON of vegetables. 

To make this, I cut the zucchini into large chunks and grill it right on the pan. I am really familiar with my grill though. Another option is to slice the zucchini in half and grill the large pieces, then once they are charred and cooled, chop them into chunks. Both methods work! 

I rarely serve this warm. It’s often either room temperature or almost chilled thanks to the dressing. I love it that way and it’s perfect. 

Both a mixture of shaved parm and finely grated parmesan are key here: there is so much flavor with each bite and different textures of the cheese is what makes it special.  (more…)

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I’ve got your dinner tonight! 

This grilled buffalo chicken is so tender and juicy, served alongside a grilled corn salad that is crisp, refreshing and super satisfying. 

The combo is SO summery, so light while filling at the same time and just tastes… fantastic.

I have no other words! If you love buffalo chicken anything, this is for you. 

There is no shortage of buffalo chicken inspired recipes around here. I have a ton, it’s easily one of our favorite flavor combinations. Unless it’s a salad, they tend to be on the heavier side and when it’s super hot here, we aren’t even that hungry. 

That’s where a recipe like this comes in! 

I use our grill every single day in the summer… sometimes twice a day. My kids actually want to eat vegetables when they are grilled, everyone enjoys chicken, salmon and steak – the options are endless. 

So! 

This is one of our favorite ways to make buffalo chicken right now. It’s similar to how I make the BBQ chicken sandwiches that I just shared. And it’s freaking delicious!

I marinate the chicken in some buffalo wing sauce. I grill it and then right before it’s finished, cover with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.

It gets all melty and fantastic and is incredible. 

Then! The best part.

The top gets covered with a grilled corn and scallion salad. Complete with lots of fresh lime juice, chives and cilantro. 

We eat a version of this corn salad every summer. It’s ridiculously simple and so easy to make. I throw the corn right on the grill with the chicken. But the best part is that you don’t even have to cook the corn. (more…)

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The 4th is going to be extraordinarily delicious!

We’ve got salads and dips and tons of red, white and blue. Of course burgers and hot dogs with pasta salad sides and corn. All the best of the best! Cocktails and mocktails and everything you need to make this weekend off-the-charts incredible.

I love to do a classic BBQ menu with lots of red white and blue desserts and apps. Berries are so fabulous right now that it makes it easy! Lots of my favorite summer recipes are on this list and you can’t go wrong with any of them.

What are your plans for the 4th this year? Let me know what you’re making below.

4th of July Recipe Guide – 60+ Recipes for the 4th of July

10 minutes best grilled bruschetta 

Chimichurri grilled feta

We adore this peach burrata crostini. It’s so good. (more…)

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