Think of this zucchini pasta recipe as your gateway to the Italian summer in your mind’s eye. The fruit (yes, zucchini is a fruit) transforms into a pile of soft shreds with the help of a box grater. Cook it down with olive oil, onion, and garlic and it becomes a creamy, caramelized paste that’s great to spread on toast (like Jennie Cook’s Zucchini Butter, which inspired this recipe) or stir into scrambled eggs. But add a little pasta water, lemon juice, parm, and a glug or two of heavy cream and suddenly that paste transforms into a lush pasta sauce, perfect for slicking any long noodle you like.
You’ll be amazed by how many zucchini cook down into this one pasta dish—a very good thing when you’re staring down a pile of it in August. To ensure the zucchini develops color instead of turning mushy, it’s imperative you squeeze the excess liquid out of it first: Just wrap the shredded zukes in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze with all your might. You can discard the liquid—or add it to your pasta pot.
Fresh basil leaves and mint added at the end hammer home the summer vibe of this weeknight dinner. If you’re desperate for some crunch, a garnish of toasted panko breadcrumbs probably wouldn’t hurt. Or, if you’re craving color, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes would complement the dish beautifully.
Looking for more ways to use up zucchini? Try it in pasta with walnuts and pecorino, crispy grilled flatbread with ricotta, pancakes made with rice, and gluten-free zucchini noodles or zoodles made with a spiralizer in our collection of zucchini recipes.
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What you’ll need
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Large Bowl
$18 At Amazon
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Box Grater
$9 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
2
1
4
3
¼
2
12
1
½
½
½
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place a clean kitchen towel in a large bowl (or on a large cutting board). Trim 2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6), then grate on the large holes of a box grater directly into towel. Peel 1 large shallot and grate on the large holes of grater into towel. Peel 4 large garlic cloves and grate on the small holes of grater into towel.
Step 3
Gather ends of towel together, then squeeze over bowl (or the sink) with all your might to extract water from the zucchini. Squeeze until it’s hard to get out any more liquid. You should have extracted about ⅔ cup zucchini liquid, just FYI; discard.
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 (unwrap the balled-up towel over the pot for easiest transfer) and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir to coat. Season generously with 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. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta to pot of boiling water and cook until al dente.
Step 6
Meanwhile, juice 1 lemon into a small bowl. Grate ½ oz. Parmesan on the small holes of grater (you should have about ¼ cup; you can also use ¼ cup pre-grated Parmesan). Very coarsely tear or chop ½ cup (lightly packed) basil or mint leaves.
Step 7
Scoop out 2 cups pasta cooking water and set aside. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with zucchini—it’s okay if some water clings to it. 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 with tongs or a wooden spoon and add more pasta cooking liquid if needed, 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 (you may want to add an additional 1 Tbsp.). Stir in most of the herbs.
Step 9
Serve pasta topped with more grated Parmesan and remaining herbs.
Editor’s note: This zucchini pasta recipe was first printed online in August 2020. Head this way for more of our best pasta recipes →
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