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This quick pasta with tomatoes and zucchini is bursting with flavor, juicy, and packed with fresh vegetables. It makes a terrific vegan family meal ready in 30 minutes!
It’s everything you want in a pasta: simple, economical, satisfying, and delicious.
I do love easy vegetarian pasta recipes, from this pasta with peppers to this pasta with tomatoes and spinach and pasta with cherry tomatoes. Pasta dishes loaded with summer vegetables are some of our favorite staples!
Summer is also the season to enjoy zucchini and cherry tomatoes at their peak of flavor and at the best price. And this recipe is a wonderful way to turn this summer’s star produce into a lovely meatless dinner.
Here is what you need…
List of the ingredients
- Pasta
- Zucchini
- Fresh tomatoes
- Red onion (white or brown are ok)
- Parsley or basil
- Olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & Pepper
How to make pasta with tomatoes and zucchini
(Note: this is simply a quick explanation with step-by-step photos, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Cut zucchini lengthwise in half. If zucchini is large, cut each half in three thirds and slice off the seeds.
- Cut each zucchini baton into cubes. These are my favorite knives for this type of tasks: handy, sharp, and affordable too.
- Saute’ diced onion in olive oil until soft and translucent.
- Add zucchini, chili flakes, salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. I love this pan! No need to add a ton of olive oil or butter because it’s non-stick perfection without harmful chemicals, and it’s easy to clean.
- When the zucchini cubes start to caramelise, add the tomatoes.
- Cook until the skins burst, taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Add pasta, fresh parsley, toss until well combined adding a bit of pasta water.
- Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and grated parmesan cheese if you don’t keep it vegan. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
Pasta with tomatoes and zucchini ingredients
PASTA: I used penne, but spaghetti or any other chunky pasta shape work well too. We also love whole grain pasta to add extra fiber and micronutrients.
TOMATOES: If you use cherry tomatoes cut them in half, but if you prefer to use ripe large tomatoes, dice them and remove excess seeds and water.
ZUCCHINI: if your zucchini is too large and full of seeds, it’s better to cut it lengthwise and remove the core before cutting it into cubes.
ONION: I love red onions when it comes to pasta recipes, they’re colorful, healthy and packed with antioxidants. But feel free to use any onion you have!
HERBS: I used fresh chopped parsley, but fresh basil or thyme are totally fine instead of parsley.
What to serve on the side? You might indulge in a special Italian meal adding a side of focaccia with olives or some simply, quick, no knead focaccia.
If you’d like to add more protein to your meal, serve this pasta with tomatoes and zucchini with a quick cannellini bean salad or Italian chickpea salad. Otherwise, a tomato and onion salad or tomato and cucumber salad if you prefer a light and fresh salad!
More easy pasta recipes?
I’m a big fan of vegetarian and vegan pasta recipes, and I’ve shared quite a few recipes. Love the convenience and how versatile it is.
Here some of my fav ideas:
If you make this pasta with tomatoes and zucchini or you have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini
Ingredients
PASTA
- 8 oz (220 grams) pasta (penne, fusilli, spaghetti…)
TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
- ½ red onion (any other color is fine), diced
- 1 lb (450 grams) zucchini, diced
- ¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 10 oz (300 grams) cherry tomatoes, halved
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
To serve (optional)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- freshly ground black pepper
- grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
PASTA
- Fill a large pot with salty water and place over high heat to bring it to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot while you're cooking the zucchini.
- Cook until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve about ½ cup of cooking water when you drain the pasta.
TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI
- Cut the tomatoes in half, and dice onion and zucchini. If zucchini is large, cut it lengthwise, than cut each half into three long batons. Then slice off the seeds from each baton and cut it into ½-inch cubes.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add the red onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and pale purple in color, 5-6 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the zucchini, chili flakes, about ¼ tsp of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Give a good stir and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until the zucchini are cooked but still crisp, not mushy.
- Add the tomatoes, stir and cook until the skins burst and the tomatoes begin to release their juices, about 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
- Add pasta and parsley to the pan and toss gently to combine. Add a touch of pasta cooking water if the pasta dries out (you don't need all of it, but use just as much as you need to keep everything moist and juicy).
- Taste again and make sure you're happy with the seasoning.
- Remove from the stove and serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese, if you wish.
Notes
You can gently reheat in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat or in the microwave. Nutrition facts: Please note that the nutrition values are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. The nutrition value is for one serving (the extra parmesan cheese for serving and the final drizzle of olive oil are not included).
Gabriel Inpool
Excellent. I made it plant-based by using veg broth instead of oil, used brown rice spaghetti and added a few pine nuts on top. Delicious. Thank you
Katia
I’m so pleased, Gabriel! Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback.
Cheers x