Zucchini Pasta

This recipe for Zucchini Pasta makes a delicious, creamy main dish or decadent side, that combines freshly grated zucchini and tender pasta, tossed with rich homemade cream sauce. It’s a simple, easy and incredibly tasty pasta dish the whole family will love.

Pasta with Zucchini Recipe

If you’re looking for a quick and easy pasta dish that will quickly become a family favorite, you’re going to love this easy 6-ingredient recipe. This amazing dish is based on a Spaghetti alla Nerano recipe that was featured on the show, “Searching for Italy” with the famous actor, Stanley Tucci. It’s so scrumptious he referred to it as a “life changing dish.” So, we decided to recreate it with a simple and inexpensive twist.

The results are so incredible, it will have you wanting to pack your bags for a trip to Italy! The most marvelous thing about this recipe is that even though it tastes just like a rich decadent meal from a fancy Italian restaurant, it truly could not be any easier to make.

If your family runs to the table anytime they hear that you’re serving pasta, you should also checkout this recipe for Baked Ziti and this Fire Roasted Tomato Pasta. 

Why We Love This Recipe

• Easy recipe: This pasta dish is a super simple recipe that uses 6 basic ingredients and comes together in just a matter of minutes.
• Versatile: You can serve this creamy zucchini pasta as an easy meal or side dish. You can also add a protein of your choice or serve it as is.
• Convenient: It’s the perfect way to use up an abundance of summer zucchini but since it’s available any time of year, you don’t have to wait on zucchini season.

Recommended Tools

• Grater
• Colander
• Large pot (for boiling water)
• Large skillet (for making the pasta sauce)
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

• Fresh zucchini
• Spaghetti (or other long noodles like fettuccine)
• Heavy cream
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)
• Mint leaves (chopped)

How to Bake the Creamy Zucchini Pasta Recipe

Step One: Prepare the Zucchini

• Wash and dry them thoroughly, then cut off the ends.
• Using a box grater, grate 2 of the zucchinis on the smallest hole, creating tiny shreds of zucchini.
• Next, switch to the medium-sized hole and grate the other two zucchini’s, creating thin zucchini noodles.
• Place the grated zucchinis in a colander and squeeze out any excess liquid. Set aside.

Step Two: Boil the Pasta

• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water and stir until dissolved.
• Once your large pot of water is boiling, add the pasta noodles and stir occasionally. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions or until it’s al dente.

Step Three: Sauté the Zucchini

• In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add the finely grated zucchini and sauté for 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften. Be sure to keep them moving so they don’t stick to the pot.

Step Four: Make the Sauce

• Next pour in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir everything together.
• Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Step Five: Add the Pasta

• Once it has cooked, drain the cooked pasta and transfer it to the pot with the zucchini sauce.
• Use a pair of tongs or a large spoon to toss everything together until the spaghetti is fully coated with the sauce.
• Finally, add the zucchini noodles and chopped mint and stir gently to combine.
• The zucchini mixture only needs 1-2 minutes to cook, so be careful not to overcook them. Once they’re heated through, remove the pot from the heat.
• Add the zucchini spaghetti to a large serving dish and serve hot, garnished with extra mint leaves if desired.

Zucchini Pasta Recipe Variations

• Zucchini: Zucchini works best in this recipe, but you can also make it using yellow summer squash.

• Pasta: You can use any type of pasta you want. Short or long pasta works equally as well. Fettuccine, angel hair, ziti are all great choices.

• Protein: If you’re wanting to add extra protein to the pasta, tofu, cooked shrimp, shredded chicken or even browned Italian sausage works great.

• Vegan and gluten free version: You can use gluten free pasta and any type of vegan cream you like, such as soy, almond, or cashew cream. You can also use coconut cream for a richer flavor.

• Sauce: If you like a thicker sauce, you can add in about 3 ounces of cream cheese.

• Herbs and spices: Feel free to add other seasonings to the sauce. Freshly grated garlic cloves are always great with pasta, but you can also add red pepper flakes, lemon zest fresh basil leaves thyme or rosemary if you prefer.

• Toppings: Add toppings of your choice. Grated cheese, like parmesan cheese or Romano works great in this recipe. You can also add toasted pine nuts or finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice.

How do I Store Pasta with Zucchini?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the pasta, simply add it to a pan with a splash of water or additional cream to thin it out. Then just heat it over low heat until it’s warmed through.

Can I Make This Recipe in Advance?

You can prepare the zucchini noodles the night before and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, making sure you blot them well with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. You can also prepare the homemade sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to serve, simply reheat the sauce in a pan over low heat and add the zucchini noodles and cooked spaghetti.

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

This dish is best when served freshly made because freezing the zucchini noodles and spaghetti may become mushy when they are thawed out.

Tips for Making Zucchini and Pasta

• Be sure to use a box grater to create uniform zucchini noodles so they will cook evenly.

• If you don’t have a box grater, you can also use a spiralizer or julienne peeler. The strands will be a little longer, but they will work just as well.

• Zucchini contains a lot of water. To prevent the zucchini noodles from becoming soggy, be sure to squeeze out as much water as possible with a tea towel or by pressing them with paper towels.

• Wait to add the seasonings until the end. The spaghetti will already be salted, so you may not need to add much additional salt.

More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Roasted Tomato Pasta
• Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
• Goulash
• Tuna Noodle Casserole