Summer Squash Pasta with Yogurt Sauce Recipe
This summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce recipe is one of my favorite simple summer dinners! For this easy vegetarian pasta recipe, toss fusilli with sauteed shredded squash in a sauce made with whole milk yogurt, butter, and parmesan cheese. Add chickpeas for filling protein!
Are you swimming in squash right now?
We're not....because we managed to kill our squash plants yet again. Womp womp. We've spent an ungodly amount of money on plants and seeds at the Hartley household, only to watch them wither up and die. Still, every spring we set out to have a garden plot any doomsday prepper would be proud of. We were convinced that with quarantine, this would be the year we became official urban gardeners, but nope, didn’t happen. When will we ever learn?
If you're better at keeping plants alive than we are, or at least know someone else who is, then I think you’ll love this summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce recipe, the perfect way to turn a bunch of summer squash or zucchini into a satisfying weeknight meal.
How to Make This Summer Squash Pasta with Yogurt Sauce Recipe
This summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce recipe couldn’t be simpler. To make it, first saute grated summer squash in a mix of olive oil and butter. You could certainly chop the squash instead of grating it, but I love how the grated squash melds into the yogurt sauce in this recipe.
Then, add in plain yogurt, parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. Make sure you use full fat yogurt, as it has a lot more flavor, and it will help with the texture of the sauce. Finally, stir in cooked pasta and chickpeas, and you’re ready to go! I like to serve this summer squash pasta garnished with sliced scallions and chopped, toasted almonds.
What Type of Noodle to Use in This Summer Squash Pasta with Yogurt Sauce Recipe
With the exception of egg noodles and gnocchi, all pasta has the same ingredients - just wheat flour! Yet, what shape of pasta you use can make a big difference. While they all pretty much have the same flavor, various pasta shapes hold sauces differently. For example, thin pasta, like angel hair, will go well with thinner sauces, like oil or cream based sauces. For this summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce, I like to use a fusilli or tube shaped pasta, like penne, which traps chunks of the sauce and chickpeas.
Feel free to use either regular wheat pasta, or whole wheat pasta in this recipe. Sometimes it really does make a difference with flavor - whole wheat pasta will overpower lighter, more delicate sauces. But a rustic sauce like in this pasta with yogurt sauce pairs really well with whole grain pasta.
If you liked this summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce recipe, follow my vegetarian pasta recipes pinterest board for more inspiration.
This summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce recipe was originally published August 2016. Recipe, images and text have been updated to give you the best content possible.
Summer Squash Pasta with Yogurt Sauce Recipe
Serves 4ish
Ingredients:
8 ounces fusilli pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium-large squash, shredded on the large grates of a cheese grater
1 cup plain, full fat yogurt
3/4 cup grated parmesan
Pinch of nutmeg
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Chopped toasted almonds, for serving
Chopped scallions, for serving
Instructions
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy cooking liquid then drain pasta.
While pasta is cooking, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add squash, season with salt and pepper, and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium heat and stir in yogurt, parmesan, nutmeg and a little reserved pasta water (start with about 1/4 cup). Taste and season again with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in chickpeas and pasta and warm through for a minute. Serve pasta garnished with almonds and scallions.
If you like this summer squash pasta with yogurt sauce recipe, you might also like these summer pasta recipes:
Herbed Summer Corn Pasta Salad
Summer Spaghetti with Crispy Prosciutto
Summer Gnocchi with Basil Browned Butter
