Description
This creamy summer zucchini pasta recipe tastes like Italy in summer. The pesto-ish caramelized zucchini mixture is also a great spread for toast.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6 medium zucchini)
- 1 large shallot or ½ small onion
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta
- 1 lemon
- ½ oz. Parmesan cheese (microbial-rennet), plus more for serving
- ½ cup (lightly packed) basil or mint leaves (or a combination!)
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily.
- Step 2: Trim 2 lb. zucchini or summer squash, then grate on the large holes of a box grater directly into a clean kitchen towel. Peel 1 large shallot and grate on the large holes into towel. Peel 4 large garlic cloves and grate on the small holes into towel.
- Step 3: Gather ends of towel together, then squeeze over bowl or the sink to extract water from the zucchini until it’s hard to get out any more liquid.
- Step 4: Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or very large skillet over medium-high. Add ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini mixture, 2 tsp. kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini mixture is jammy, thick, and starting to stick to bottom of pot, 15–20 minutes.
- Step 5: When the zucchini has been cooking 5–10 minutes, add 12 oz. pasta to pot of boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Step 6: Juice 1 lemon into a small bowl. Grate ½ oz. Parmesan on the small holes of grater. Very coarsely tear or chop ½ cup basil or mint leaves.
- Step 7: Scoop out 2 cups pasta cooking water and set aside. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with zucchini. Reduce heat to medium-low, add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup heavy cream, and stir to combine. Add cheese, pour another ½ cup pasta cooking liquid over top, and cook, stirring vigorously, until a creamy sauce that coats pasta forms, 2–3 minutes.
- Step 8: Remove pasta from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper and add more lemon juice if needed. Stir in most of the herbs.
- Step 9: Serve pasta topped with more grated Parmesan and remaining herbs.
Notes
The caramelized zucchini mixture can also be used as a spread for toast or stirred into scrambled eggs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 615 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Keywords: creamy lemon zucchini pasta, summer squash pasta, Italian dinner, vegetarian pasta