Best Zucchini Pasta Recipes

ZUCCHINI-TOMATO PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter with oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook and stir until tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is tender and sauce reaches desired consistency, 50-60 minutes. Serve with pasta.

SUMMER PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH CORN, ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown. Add zucchini and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini begins to brown.
• Add onion or shallots and garlic if you are using it. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add tarragon and cook for 30 seconds, then tomatoes. Put pasta in boiling water and cook until tender but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While pasta cooks continue to cook sauce, reducing heat when tomatoes begin to break down. If sauce dries out (with plum tomatoes, this is likely), add some pasta cooking water, about 1/2 cup at a time. When pasta is done, drain it, toss with sauce and remaining oil or butter, and serve immediately.

LOW-CARB ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• Cut lengthwise slices from zucchini using a vegetable peeler, stopping when the seeds are reached. Turn zucchini over and continue 'peeling' until all the zucchini is in long strips; discard seeds. Slice the zucchini into thinner strips resembling spaghetti.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir zucchini in the hot oil for 1 minute. Add water and cook until zucchini is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. On rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic with 5 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread into single layer; roast until zucchini is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Toss with remaining tablespoon oil; cover.
• Pour reserved pasta water onto baking sheet of cooked vegetables; scrape with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Stir vegetables and juices into pasta. Add parsley and Parmesan; toss to combine. Serve with more Parmesan.

PASTA WITH EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Cook and stir without browning. Add the tomatoes, parsley, oregano, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to blend, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile cut off the ends of the eggplant and peel. Cut it into 1-inch cubes.
• Cut the ends off the zucchini and slice into 1-inch thick slices.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is very hot, add the eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until nicely browned and tender. Add to the tomato sauce. Mix well and cook for 15 minutes.
• Drop the pasta into salted boiling water and cook to the desired degree of doneness. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Return the pasta to the pot, add the reserved cooking liquid, the vegetable and sauce mixture, basil and Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve hot.

GREEK PASTA SALAD WITH SHRIMP, TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, PEPPERS, AND FETA

Steps:

• To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, pinch of salt, and pepper; slowly pour in 2/3 cup olive oil, whisking constantly. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid to transport it to the picnic.
• Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and arrange on a large baking sheet with sides. Broil until spotty brown, 8 to 10 minutes, turning zucchini slices and pepper halves once. Set aside in a large bowl to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to boil. Add pasta; boil using package times, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto the baking sheet. Set aside to cool.
• Put vegetables, pasta and remaining ingredients (except dressing) in the bowl or a gallon-sized zipper bag (can be refrigerated for several hours). When ready to serve, add dressing; toss to coat.

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and reserve.
• Fill a medium sauce pan with lightly salted water. Add zucchini and bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes or until tender.
• In a large skillet, saute garlic in oil and hot pepper flakes. Add drained zucchini and parsley, then mix all together and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Toss with pasta; then add cheese and salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper and adjust heat so onion and zucchini release their liquid without browning. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until very tender.
• Add tomatoes and their liquid to zucchini and raise heat a bit so mixture bubbles. Cook pasta until it is nearly but not quite tender. If sauce threatens to dry out, add a little pasta cooking water.
• Drain pasta and finish cooking it in sauce. Serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.

LEMONY PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just under al dente, 1 minute less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
• Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini or other squash: Season chunks with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the squash in one layer (you may need to do this in two batches) and cook undisturbed until it begins to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside. Taste and season again, if necessary.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the garlic becomes translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the squash back to the pan along with the lemon juice and half the lemon zest. Toss to combine.
• Add the pasta to the skillet, and toss to combine. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and the grated cheese, and toss until the cheese emulsifies and is silky. If needed, add an additional 1/4 cup pasta water or more to loosen. Add the fresh herbs and toss again. Top with additional herbs and the remaining lemon zest. Serve in bowls, and pass grated cheese at the table. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

ZUCCHINI, MUSHROOM, AND FRESH TOMATO SAUCE OVER PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a wide saucepan; add in onion; stir/saute 5 minutes.
• Stir in zucchini and mushrooms; saute over high heat, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in garlic; saute 1 minute.
• Add in tomatoes; cook/stir 5 minutes.
• Add in salt, parsley, and basil.
• Toss hot pasta with the sauce; serve immediately; sprinkle grated parmesan on top.

ONE-POT ZUCCHINI-BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• In a large, deep 12-inch skillet, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Once stock boils, stir in pasta, zucchini, mascarpone, garlic and half the basil; season generously with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender and liquid is reduced until thickened and creamy, 12 to 13 minutes, adding a splash of water during the last few minutes of cooking if needed to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, prepare the gremolata: Chop almonds and parsley with remaining basil until finely chopped and combined; season with salt and pepper.
• Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

SAUTEED CHICKEN, ZUCCHINI, ARTICHOKES AND TOMATOES OVER PASTA

Steps:

• In large skillet, heat one TBSP of olive oil over medium-high heat till pan is HOT.
• Add chicken. While it's searing, sprinkle the chicken with oregano, salt and pepper.
• When chicken is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan and add another TBSP of olive oil. When oil is heated, saute the zucchini until soft and lightly browned. Remove from pan.
• Add another tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. When the garlic becomes fragrant, deglaze the pan with the white wine. Let this reduce by half.
• Add the chicken back into the pan. Cook until chicken is almost completely cooked, then add the zucchini and artichokes and tomatoes. Heat through.
• Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Serve over spaghetti with plenty of parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, FETA AND FRIED LEMON

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water to stop cooking and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking; set aside.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts, if using, and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until walnuts are toasted and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the walnuts to a small bowl (leaving the oil behind) and season with salt; set aside.
• Add shallots and lemon to the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until both the shallots and lemons are totally softened and have begun to caramelize, 5 to 8 minutes. Add capers and stir to coat in the oil, letting them sizzle a minute or two.
• Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. (Do not be alarmed at the amount of zucchini in the skillet; it will cook down by about half.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until much of the water has evaporated from the zucchini and it has totally softened, become translucent and is beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. (This mixture should be very flavorful and lightly saucy.)
• Remove pan from heat and add pasta, tossing to coat. (If your skillet is very full, you can always transfer everything to a large bowl and toss to coat there.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and top with toasted walnuts, feta and herbs, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil.

EGGPLANT ZUCCHINI PASTA BAKE WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook eggplant in the boiling water until mostly tender, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute zucchini and garlic until zucchini starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add eggplant; saute until browned, about 2 minutes.
• Heat remaining olive oil in another saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomato, basil, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring sauce to just a boil.
• Pour wine into the zucchini mixture; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is nearly gone, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato sauce; mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook farfalle pasta at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• Pour a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a lasagna dish. Add a portion of the 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and mozzarella strips. Add a layer of pasta. Repeat layers, ending with cheeses.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is well melted, about 20 minutes.

PASTA WITH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI AND PESTO

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion and garlic and saut until zucchini is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and simmer until almost all liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return to pot.
• Add pesto to pasta and toss to coat. Add zucchini mixture and toss over low heat to combine. Mix in basil. Season pasta with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

ZUCCHINI PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain. Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a blender or food processor, thoroughly mix the Parmesan cheese and crackers.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the onion in the skillet, and cook and stir until tender. Mix in the zucchini, tomato, and garlic, and season with oregano, basil, celery, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook and stir until the zucchini is tender.
• In the prepared casserole dish, mix the pasta with the vegetable mixture and mozzarella cheese. Top evenly with the Parmesan cheese mixture.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is lightly browned. Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush two rimmed baking sheets with oil. Arrange zucchini in a single layer on sheets and brush tops with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast zucchini until tender and lightly golden in parts, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add oil, lemon zest, and zucchini and toss to combine. Serve pasta topped with ricotta.

FRESH ZUCCHINI PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix zucchini and garlic together in a large bowl; stir in olive oil and salt. Set aside for flavors to blend, about 1 hour.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and add to zucchini mixture. Toss to combine and slightly cook the zucchini.

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package directions. In a sieve or colander, drain the zucchini, squeezing to remove excess liquid. Pat dry. , In a large nonstick skillet, saute zucchini in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper. Drain linguine; add to zucchini mixture and toss to coat.