This pasta with zucchini is your go-to recipe when you want a delicious, satisfying pasta dish loaded with vegetables. It's ready in about 15 minutes, it requires only 5 ingredients and turns plenty of zucchini into a perfect summer meal.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Pasta with zucchini
Servings: 3
Calories: 482kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
1/2 lb(220 grams)pasta
1½Tbspolive oil
3-4garlic cloves, minced
1 lb(450 grams)zucchini, cut into slices or cubes(approx 3 medium-sized zucchini)
Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, but drain 1 minute before the end of the cooking time.
Before draining, reserve about 1/2 of cooking water.
Zucchini
While the pasta is cooking, in a large pan (see notes) heat the olive oil, add the garlic and gently fry for about 30 seconds, until golden and fragrant.
Add the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper and toss to combine. Start with 1/2 tsp of salt and a good pinch of pepper, but after a few minutes check if you're happy with the seasoning.
Fry the zucchini gently over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. You want the zucchini to turn slightly brown and absorb the flavor from the garlic, the oil, and the seasoning. Make sure you don't steam them. Cook until soft, 8-10 minutes should be enough.
Assemble and serve
Add pasta to the zucchini, stir to combine. Then add parmesan, cream cheese, (or ricotta). Stir well to combine for about 1 minutes over medium-high heat. Add a few Tbsps of pasta cooking water to make it moist, if needed (see notes).
Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper or chili flakes, if you like.
Video
Notes
Pasta: I prefer short cut pasta like fusilli or rotini in this recipe (it makes easier to catch pasta and veggies in the same bite!), but any pasta will work just fine.
Zucchini: I cut my zucchini vertically into 4 quarters and then into slices. You can simply slice or dice them, just keep more or less the same size.
More veggies, less pasta: if you prefer to increase the amount of zucchini, go for it. You can use 2 lb of zucchini rather than 1, just make sure you get a large pan and adjust the seasoning and the olive oil.
Pan or skillet: Get a pan big enough to hold all the ingredients you are cooking. You want to be able to move the zucchini around easily so they don't just steam.
Pasta water: add just a small splash of pasta water until you make the pasta moist. Don't add all the water in one go, you might not need it.
Leftovers: this pasta doesn't freeze well, but it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. Add a tiny amount of water or milk to loosen up and reheat in the microwave.
Note:the nutritional values are only estimates for 1 serving. They are provided by an online nutrition calculator and they should not be considered as a substitute for a nutritionist’s advice.