Zucchini Pasta Is The Dish of Summer

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Creamy and full of summer produce, this easy zucchini pasta is sure to impress—even on a weeknight.

Southern Living Easy Zucchini-Basil Pasta on a plate to serve
Photo:

Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Prissy Montiel

Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
4

This zucchini pasta recipe is our favorite kind of weeknight pasta; it’s uncluttered and doesn’t require a laundry list of ingredients, but is still incredibly flavorful.

The sauce is uber creamy from a combination of cheese, butter, and heavy cream. The zucchini’s neutral flavor is perfect here because it balances the richness of the sauce. Although we call for four cloves of garlic, once infused into the oil, the flavor isn’t super potent, and gives this simple dish a little oomph.

If there's one pro-tip we can provide it's this: Don’t use pre-grated cheese. It’s way too fine for this recipe and will melt too quickly and clump immediately when it hits the pasta. For the best results, we like grating our Parmesan on the second smallest-sized holes of a box grater.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for salting water and to taste

  • 1 (16-oz.) pkg. spaghetti

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1 Tbsp.)

  • 2 lb. zucchini (about 5 small zucchini), thinly sliced (8 cups)

  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

  • 4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

Directions

  1. Cook spaghetti:

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add spaghetti; cook according to package directions for al dente.

  2. Cook garlic and zucchini:

    While spaghetti cooks, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, salt, and pepper; increase heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini are just tender, about 8 minutes.

  3. Make sauce:

    Using tongs, transfer cooked spaghetti to Dutch oven. Add 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water; reserve remaining pasta cooking water in pot. Stir cream and butter into Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Add basil and cheese:

    Add basil and Parmesan to Dutch oven; stir constantly until cheese is melted and combined, about 2 minutes. Add a bit more pasta cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, if necessary, to achieve a creamy consistency.

  5. Season and serve:

    Season with kosher salt to taste. Garnish servings with additional basil and pepper.

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