This creamy pasta with zucchini gets a bit of zip from fresh lemon juice and zest. The simple sauce is made with mascarpone and parmesan cheeses, use linguine, spaghetti or shorter pasta noodles, too.
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This creamy zucchini pasta showcases peak summer zucchini and truly lets you appreciate it. It's indulgent but light, and brightened with basil and lemon. All the flavors shine and nothing gets drowned out.
And just to be clear, this is a pasta with zucchini recipe, not a zucchini noodle situation. Nothing wrong with zoodles, but this is not that.
The mascarpone cheese that forms the sauce is light and creamy and doesn't overwhelm the pasta. It tastes like fresh sweet cream and goes perfectly with the sweetness of the zucchini.
I love a quick and easy vegetarian pasta recipe! Try my Asparagus Pasta in the springtime, Pesto Pasta at the height of summer, Pasta with Radicchio and Goat Cheese in the wintertime, or Pasta with Green Olives any time of year.
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Ingredients you'll need
You only need 6 ingredients to make pasta with zucchini! It's easy and effortless!
- Zucchini: Look for smaller zucchini that are firm with no soft spots. (If they are too large you will have all seeds.) The skin of zucchini is very delicate, so you'll find they have some nicks here and there but that's no big whoop.
- Pasta noodles: I like linguine or spaghetti for this, but you could also use penne or a variety of other noodles, see tips below. Choose a good-quality pasta brand like DeCecco.
- Mascarpone cheese: This Italian cheese is creamy and light, has a soft, spreadable texture and tastes of fresh cream. You'll find it in the dairy section, usually near the mozzarella and ricotta.
- Parmesan cheese: I always recommend real parmigiano reggiano that you grate yourself!
- Unsalted butter
- Lemon juice and zest
- Kosher salt
How to make creamy zucchini pasta
Step 1: Boil the pasta
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add salt until it "tastes like the sea" then add the pasta.
Step 2: Prep the lemon and zucchini
With a good chef's knife, slice the zucchini into batons or matchsticks. See tips below.
Use a microplane grater to grate the lemon zest. Then squeeze the juice and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the zucchini
Place a large, deep skillet over medium low heat. Add the olive oil and once it's shimmering, add the zucchini to the pan and season with salt.
Cook the zucchini until just softened and still bright green, don't let it take on any color. (It will continue to cook in the sauce.)
Step 4: Add pasta and mascarpone to zucchini
When the pasta is just shy of al dente, use tongs to transfer it directly into the skillet with the zucchini. Scoop out about ½ cup of the pasta water and add to the skillet, turn the heat up to medium. Stir in the mascarpone until completely melted.
Step 5: Add parmesan cheese and finish the creamy sauce
Add the parmesan cheese, continue stirring until it melts into the sauce that's forming with the pasta water and mascarpone.
When some of the pasta water has been absorbed and all cheese is melted and the sauce has gotten creamy, stir in the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.
Transfer to serving dishes and top with fresh basil, and more lemon zest if desired.
Tips for creamy zucchini pasta
- When slicing the zucchini, you can do thinner matchsticks or thicker batons. You could even do half moons. Keep in mind that the center, seedy part will virtually disintegrate if you cut the strips too thin.
- If you can't find mascarpone, substitute heavy cream.
- We are not draining the pasta! We need the water clinging to the noodles as well as some of the water to form the creamy zucchini pasta sauce. Easy-peasy and less dishes and hassle!
- If you want to add even more flavor to your pasta with zucchini, stir in some basil pesto off the heat, before you add the lemon juice.
Best pasta shapes to try
You can choose from a variety of shapes for creamy zucchini pasta. My favorite are longer noodles like linguine and spaghetti that mimic the long thin slices of zucchini. Shorter pasta noodles that will still grab onto the creamy sauce also work well. Long or short, curly or straight, try any of these!
- Linguine
- Spaghetti
- Cavatappi
- Penne
- Farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
- Fusilli
Ways to serve pasta with zucchini
Anything fresh and summery will go perfectly with creamy zucchini pasta. Try these ideas for starters, side salads and dessert that keep things light and fresh.
- Start with an appetizer: Pea and Mint Crostini or Radishes with Radish Leaf Butter would make great starters!
- Try a fresh salad: A Nectarine Salad with Tomatoes is summer on a plate, and a Tricolore Salad or a Massaged Kale Salad are classic choices.
- What about dessert: Finish the meal with some Amaretti Cookies with Cherries or a Mixed Berry Cake.
Recommended tools and equipment
- Large stock pot: To boil the pasta.
- Wide, deep skillet: To cook the zucchini and finish the creamy sauce.
- Microplane grater: For zesting the lemon.
- Tongs: To transfer the pasta noodles.
- Chef's knife and cutting board: To slice the zucchini
More zucchini recipes
These zucchini recipes are here for you when you are up to your elbows in it!
- This Zucchini Parmesan is NOT breaded and NOT fried! But it has all the indulgence and flavor you're looking for.
- Try a Zucchini Salad when you just can't bear to cook a thing.
Creamy zucchini pasta is light, quick and oh-so-easy to make!
- No heavy cream here. We're using some mascarpone cheese to make it creamy to keep things lighter.
- Quick prep: Just chop some zucchini, grate the parmesan, and zest a lemon.
- Only 8 ingredients.
- The zucchini cooks while the pasta boils.
- A great vegetarian meal!
- Ready in 30 minutes!
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Recipe
Creamy Zucchini Pasta
Equipment
- box grater if grating your own cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium zucchini
- 1 pound pasta linguine, spaghetti, or penne
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese about 2.5 ounces
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of two lemons
- fresh basil
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add salt until it "tastes like the sea" then add the pasta.
- Slice the zucchini into batons or matchsticks. See tips below.
- Use a microplane grater to grate the lemon zest. Then squeeze the juice and set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the olive oil and once it's shimmering, add the zucchini to the pan and season with salt. Cook the zucchini until just softened and still bright green, don't let it take on any color. (It will continue to cook in the sauce.)
- When the pasta is just shy of al dente, use tongs to transfer it directly into the skillet with the zucchini. Scoop out about ½ cup of the pasta water and add to the skillet, turn the heat up to medium. Stir in the mascarpone until completely melted.
- Add the parmesan cheese, continue stirring until it melts into the sauce that's forming with the pasta water and mascarpone. When some of the pasta water has been absorbed, all cheese is melted and the sauce has gotten creamy, stir in the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- Transfer to serving dishes and top with fresh basil, and more lemon zest if desired.
Notes
- When slicing the zucchini, you can do thinner matchsticks or thicker batons. It's easier to keep it from overcooking if they are a bit thicker. You could even do half moons. Keep in mind that the center, seedy part will virtually disintegrate if you cut it into very thin strips.
- If you can't find mascarpone, substitute heavy cream.
- We are not draining the pasta! We need the water clinging to the noodles as well as some of the pasta water to form the sauce. Easy-peasy and less dishes and hassle!
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