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 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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More in summer salad adventures!

This beauty is packed with peppery arugula greens, savory halloumi cheese, sweet peaches, crisp corn, cut right off the cob and one of my favorite dressings ever. 

It has a few other ingredients to make this irresistible and crunchtastic. 

The texture is all I need. Give me a salad with crunch and I will be there!

You know that I’m always on a mission to create the next best salad of the season. I do so weekly at home when I want to make our salads more exciting. Whether we are eating them as a starter, a side, for a holiday or even just for lunch, I want to make a salad that I absolutely freak out over.

One that I can’t stop thinking about. 

One that checks all the boxes: flavor, crunch, all the texture, satiety, seasonal and more. 

I love to mix sweet and savory. Use all the summer produce. Put all that fantastic juicy fruit right in there with a buttery lettuce and cheese and nuts. 

This salad is full of so many of my favorite things!

Grilled halloumi cheese

Grilled corn 

Fresh, juicy peaches 

Arugula greens

Pickled onions

Chopped pistachios 

And my cilantro lime vinaigrette! The best ever. For real. 

Halloumi is one ingredient I always adore but don’t use enough of. It’s super easy to slice and throw right on a hot grill. I throw the corn on the cob right on the grill at the same time. It’s so simple. 

This cilantro lime dressing is one I use in so many ways. Think salads, as a marinade, for fajitas and more. It’s very flavorful and easy to make. I use my favorite kitchen appliance to make it: the nutribullet!

Throwing all the ingredients right in that mini blender makes this a BREEZE. I will make it a day or two ahead of time too and it stays great in the fridge. Just give it a quick shake or whisk before using. 

The herby citrusy dressing also makes the whole salad taste very fresh and light. It coats everything perfectly without being heavy. Ideal for summer!  (more…)

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Summer salad time!

This chopped wedge salad has all the flavors of a traditional wedge salad, all chopped up and tossed in an incredible blue cheese dressing. It’s so crunchy and crisp. 

Chopped salads are the salads that made me like salads. It’s the truth! There is just something about being about to get a bite of EVERYTHING on that one fork. It’s so satisfying. Chopped salads usually have a ton of texture and this is no different. 

At the same time, it’s super simple. Iceberg, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese. That’s really it! Sure, we have a dressing and some fresh herbs, but those are the big ingredients. The main ones.

Now, I know that the classic wedge salad had creamy blue cheese dressing. 

BUT. I don’t love creamy dressing to begin with. And in the summer, it just seems way too… heavy and hot. 

It’s no secret that I need some tangy, briney vinegar in my life. It’s my absolute favorite flavor combo and homemade salad dressings are my life.

So! I made my blue cheese vinaigrette for this instead. It is PERFECT. Oh my word.

Truly truly perfect. 

First of all, the dressing has blue cheese crumbles IN it, so as it gets shaked and mixed up, it does take on a slightly creamy texture. Almost like emulsified. Second, it has fresh herbs, which are so nice and refreshing in the summer.

The vinaigrette keeps the salad feeling a little lighter. It also keeps the bacon crisp and the iceberg crisp as well! It’s not drenched in a creamy dressing which gives it a little bit of staying power. Plus – the flavor. Ohhhh the flavor. 

I am a nut and could probably drink this dressing. At least take a spoonful of it!  (more…)

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Who needs dinner for a hot day?! 

These chili lime salmon bites are tender and buttery, served over crisp mango slaw that is super flavorful and easy to make. It’s my signature salmon with my signature slaw, made into a new special meal that we are loving lately. 

It’s the time of year where dinners MUST be cooling and refreshing and perfect for the hot weather… even if it’s a warm meal. This is the perfect combo of the two. It’s light and refreshing while being incredibly satisfying.

Plus, it tastes amazing! 

I made this seared salmon in a skillet almost every single week. I talk about it every time I make it: how we all love it so much, how it only takes minutes to make. Sometimes I sear whole filets and other times I cut it into chunks. It’s amazing how just that little change makes it seem like a whole new meal.

How exciting!! 

But really, chopping the salmon before searing creates the perfect buttery bites with a crisp exterior.

For the chili lime flavor, I use tajin. It is probably my favorite seasoning mixture – I can never get it enough. Right now, I adore it sprinkled on watermelon with some fresh lime juice. 

The tajin combo is so tangy, citrusy, smoky and just has a little bit of a bite. Not much – I don’t love spicy flavors. So if this isn’t too spicy for me, you know it’s perfect. 

My favorite thing about using the tajin is that it is just a one step seasoning! It takes the place of salt, pepper, everything. Trader Joe’s also makes a chili lime seasoning that is really good.

Once the salmon is seasoned, I simply sear it in a skillet with some avocado oil! I also like to add my classic water + honey mixture to the pan to create a bit of a sticky sauce. It’s so simple and such a game changer. 

The best part though? The mango slaw. It’s so crunchy and crisp. Amazing for summer, so easy to make and doesn’t require any heat. It’s what I like to call a “slaw salad” in which I use the slaw as the base of a salad. Groundbreaking, I know. It really makes a difference though! (more…)

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Summer sandwich season!

These grilled BBQ chicken sandwiches are incredible and the perfect weeknight meal. Top with guacamole and everyone will be thrilled!

Tastes like heaven, looks impressive and is easy enough to assemble for a big summer BBQ.

Extra guac for me please!

We bought a new grill so I’ve been grilling all the things. I usually grill all the things but this is different: we’ve been without a grill for a few months so I was extra excited. When I say that I use the grill daily for dinner in the summer, it’s not an exaggeration! I can’t live without it. 

I’ve been making chicken thighs often – Eddie adores them and they are our favorite to make for easy lunches, dinners or meal prep. This method is so easy but it’s also very flavorful. It seems too flavorful for what it is! 

Chicken thighs + seasonings + BBQ sauce + sharp cheddar

That’s how it’s done and it tastes like heaven. Put it on a sandwich or even slice it for a salad. Delish!

And of course I have to make it a bit extra by adding a quick guacamole. It should be our summer spread of choice. 

This is what’s stacked on our bun!

Grilled BBQ chicken thighs with melty cheddar

A heavy handed scoop of guacamole 

My favorite pickled onions

Some crisp refreshing romaine lettuce

Also can we talk about how I accidentally wrote ICONS instead of onions? I mean… they basically are pickled icons. Let’s be real. 

Oh and a super buttery brioche bun! (more…)

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