Pasta With Bacon, Tomato and Yellow Squash

The summer months are perfect for pasta salad, and one with yellow squash and tomatoes is garden-fresh. Plus who doesn't love bacon? This combo is fast, easy, and ultra-tasty.

Summer Pasta Dinner

It's summertime, and you want to put some color (and veggies!) in your meals. The bright yellow squash and rich red tomatoes create a dish that matches the sunny days!

This delicious meal is an easy one you can throw together. I love the fresh ingredients readily available in summer, and pasta is a perfect simple base to hold it all together.

Try my other pasta salad recipes that make great dinners:

• Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Zucchini
• Easy Squash and Pancetta Pasta
• Herbed Vegetable Pasta with Artichokes

What is Gemelli Pasta?

Gemelli (pronounced jeh-MEL-lee) is the word for ‘twins’ in Italian. This type of pasta looks like two twin strands of pasta twisted together.

Take a closer look and you'll see it is actually one S-shaped strand in a corkscrew spiral. This particular shape of pasta makes it perfect for soaking up flavorful oils, sauces and flavors.

Gemelli Pasta Substitutes

Not all pasta is created equal! Many pasta shapes can be swapped for each other, but not all. For instance you wouldn't use Orzo (a rice-shape) in place of Penne (a tube).

If you don't have gemelli pasta on hand, or if it proves difficult to find in a store, there are plenty of different types of pasta you can use! There are lots of pasta substitutions that can be made.

Here are some fun shapes that I would recommend swapping for gemelli:

• Campanelle
• Conchiglie
• Orechiette
• Penne
• or make your own pasta!

Pasta with yellow squash, and more!

I like to start a lot of pasta dishes with a little cooked bacon, pancetta or sausage. Just a little goes a long way, so you still have a heavily veggie-based dish, but loads of flavor. 

This pasta with yellow squash gets some tang from tomatoes and richness from a little bacon.

Try more summer pasta recipes:

• Italian Eggplant and Tomato Pasta with Ricotta
• Warm Salmon and Arugula Pasta
• Green Pesto Pasta with Lemon Ricotta

What a great way to use veggies from the market or your garden. Nothing is better than fresh veggies!

Gemelli With Bacon, Tomato And Yellow Squash

Tara Teaspoon

Gemelli combined with fresh vegetables and bacon makes a perfect and easy summer pasta with yellow squash.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 slices bacon
• 2 yellow squash (yellow zucchini) diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 lb gemelli pasta
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• Parmesan

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta in very salty water, drain and set aside. Cook bacon over medium heat in a nonstick skillet; set aside.
• In same skillet, cook 2 diced yellow squash until just tender, about 5 min. Add 1 pint grape tomatoes and heat through, letting tomatoes get a little charred.
• Toss everything with cooked gemelli pasta, season to taste with extra salt, pepper and Parmesan.

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Recipe by Tara Teaspoon

I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes and food styling for magazines, books, television and advertising. Find out more about me!

Written by Tessa Samuelsen & Tara Teaspoon. Recipe Tara Teaspoon, Photographs Hallie Burton. LHJ 05/10