One-Pot Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini

One-pot pasta dish of tomatoes, zucchini, corn, pesto, and mozzarella mixed into orzo on a white plate.

One-Pot Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini

This risotto-like pasta dish that celebrates summer produce with tomatoes, zucchini, corn and pesto. It all melts together with mozzarella cheese for a comforting dish the whole family will love.

Course Vegetarian Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword summer pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 350.7kcal

Author Susan Pridmore

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.

Nutrition