Easy Creamy Zucchini Pasta Sauce

5 from 13 votes

A seriously delicious creamy zucchini pasta sauce that will blow your mind. Simple ingredients for a flavor packed creamy sauce infused with lemon juice and finished with fresh basil. The zucchini is cooked down until thick and jammy then mixed into sauce with loads of parmesan cheese - it's SO good!

White plate with bucatini pasta in a creamy zucchini sauce. Golden zucchini slices and fresh basil on top.

Hi! I am so excited to write up this zucchini pasta recipe because zucchini is one of my absolute favorite vegetables (and food for that matter!). I absolutely love adding sliced zucchini into pasta, like in my Creamy Bacon Pasta. It soaks up sauce so well!

This pasta dish is a little different. The zucchini is grated then cooked down slowly until it loses moisture and becomes a thick jammy mixture. It mixes through the cream sauce so perfectly and I know you will love this one. It's so fresh and zingy with the lemon juice and basil.

This is definitely an adaptation of a Bon Appetit zucchini recipe but I have upped the flavor and changed the way the sauce comes together. I find that adding parmesan to wet ingredients can cause clumping. I like to remove the zucchini before making the sauce so that the parmesan can melt into the cream on it's own.

Ingredients

Pasta - I used a bucatini but you could use regular spaghetti, fettuccine or a short shape. All pasta shapes will work!

Zucchini - The key is squeezing all the liquid out and cooking them down slowly. It's a great way to use up your summer zucchini but I love this any time of year! I topped with some fried zucchini slices too.

Cream - I always go for a light or single cream as cream sauces can thicken up so much once the parmesan is added.

Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves are always best!

Parmesan cheese - It is true that a really good quality parmigiano reggiano will make a difference but trust me, the sauce is amazing with a cheaper one too. PLEASE freshly grate your own, that is all I ask.

Lemon - I use the juice in the sauce and lemon zest on top. Lemon juice in a cream sauce cuts through the richness perfectly.

Fresh Basil - Always stir basil through at the very last second before serving.

Preparing the zucchini

Grate with a box grater then place in a tea towel (I keep a specific old one in the cupboard for this task!). Wrap it up then twist it around and around as tight as you can so the water drains out.

Grated zucchini on a white tea towel after squeezing.

Zucchini slice topping

I feel like Stanley Tucci has made a fried zucchini sauce so famous, so this is a little nod to that. Slice thin slices then fry in olive oil over a medium-high heat until golden brown. It is an extra step that looks nice but is definitely not necessary.

Fried golden brown zucchini slices on top of the pasta dish.

How to make this recipe

The full recipe, ingredient list and a short tutorial video are in the recipe card below.

Get a pot of well salted water on to boil and drop the pasta in about half way through the zucchini cooking time.

Grated zucchini in a stainless steel fry pan.

ONE: In a large skillet over a medium heat cook the zucchini, onion and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Lower the heat to medium - low and cook down for 20 - 25 mins.

Grated zucchini cooked down and looking reduced and jammy.

TWO: You know it is ready when it is thick and jammy and sticking to the bottom. Remove from pan and set aside.

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Cream in a skillet with grated parmesan melting in and a whisk resting in.

THREE: Add the cream into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the parmesan cheese.

Black pepper sprinkled on top of sauce and lemon juice being poured in.

FOUR: Add the black pepper, lemon juice and mix in quickly. Add ¼ cup of pasta water and let it bubble for a min or two to thicken.

FIVE: Add the zucchini back in and mix. Add your cooked pasta in and toss.

Pasta tossed into sauce and gently simmering.

SIX: Let it gently bubble away for a min or two, adding another ¼ cup pasta water if needed. Add the basil leaves right before serving.

Expert tips

Take your time cooking the zucchini. Have your heat low and stir it every few minutes.
The cream sauce should never be boiling just a really nice gentle simmer on a medium or even medium-low heat.
If using dried pasta, undercook it by a minute so it can bubble away IN the sauce for a minute or two at end and still be al dente.
Always reserve a mug of the starchy pasta water before draining. I like to try and time the pasta cooking and sauce so I can transfer the cooked pasta straight into the sauce. I use a spider strainer for this.

How much salt to put in pasta water

If you can stomach a mouthful of your pasta water, you probably haven't salted it enough! I have learnt a lot about salting water from Samin Nosrat and her book and series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.

For two people I generally use about 1.75L of boiling water and I use about ¾ tablespoon of table salt. Personally, I don't want to waste fancy salt in water. Table salt is generally the saltiest of all salts so if you use something like Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or Maldon, you might need to go closer to 2 tablespoons.

Experiment with what works for your tastes. I can't stress enough the importance of salting your pasta water. It makes a HUGE difference. Remember, pasta has zero salt in it so seasoning your water is the one chance you have to add some flavour INTO the pasta.

White plate with a fork twirling into pasta in a creamy zucchini sauce.

Recipe FAQs

What pasta shape is best?

I have used bucatini but you could use any long shape. A short shape will be great too, there are no rules here so use any kind of pasta you love.

What cream is best for a creamy sauce?

I prefer a single or light cream as it thickens up a lot with the parmesan cheese. You can use heavy cream if you prefer but you might just need to add some more pasta water.

How do I make sure the cream won't curdle when adding lemon?

The key is having the heat quite gentle. The cream should never be boiling, it should be barely at a simmer. Add it in and then whisk it in really quickly. A flat whisk is great for this.

Want some other recipes to try?

If you loved this recipe then check out my recipe section for all sorts of delicious pasta recipes and tutorials. Next time you have some zucchini to use up then try my Spring Pasta Primavera. For some buttery goodness try my Confit Garlic Butter Pasta and for something completely different my new simple Pasta Arrabbiata is a must!

White plate with linguine in a creamy primavera sauce. Zucchini, broccoli and beans are mixed through with peas, pine nuts and lemon zest on top. — Pasta Primavera

Rigatoni in a glossy garlic butter sauce with a fork piercing into a piece of the pasta. Fresh rosemary on top. — Pasta Primavera

Did you make this recipe?

I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!

Recipe

Easy Creamy Zucchini Pasta Sauce

5 from 13 votes

Author: Emilie Pullar

Prep time:15

Cook Time:30

Servings: 2 people

Print Recipe Pin Rate

A delicious creamy sauce packed with zucchini, parmesan cheese and lemon. A fresh summery pasta dish that the whole family will love. Serve with fresh basil, lemon zest and a crisp glass of wine.

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 x medium zucchini see notes
½ medium onion finely diced
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
¾ cup cream
50 grams parmesan finely grated
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Handful fresh basil leaves
Salt to taste
200 grams dried pasta or 300 grams fresh

Instructions

Prepare the zucchini. Grate with a box grater then place in a tea towel or muslin cloth and squeeze as much water out as you can. After squeezing I had 440 grams of grated zucchini. A bit more or less is fine!
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet that will fit all the pasta on a medium heat and add the zucchini, onion and garlic.
Lower the heat, add a couple of big pinches of salt and gently cook down for 20 - 25 minutes until pretty much all of the moisture is gone and it is thick and jammy. Adjust your heat as needed, a low heat will be best.
Stir every couple of minutes and you know it is ready when it is sticking to the bottom of the pan. See video below or photos above for reference.
Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
While zucchini is cooking, cook your pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water before draining.
Add the cream to the empty pan the zucchini was in and bring to a very gentle simmer, it should never boil at any point so keep your heat low.
Add the finely grated parmesan in 2 - 3 separate lots, letting it melt in between each addition.
Add the black pepper and lemon juice and and mix in quickly.
Add ¼ cup of pasta water and mix. Let it gently simmer for a minute or two to thicken slightly.
Add the zucchini mixture to the cream and mix in well then add your cooked pasta and toss well.
Season with salt to taste.
Let it very gently bubble away for a min or two and add another ¼ cup pasta water to loosen if needed.
Toss the basil leaves through right before serving and serve with lemon zest and extra parmesan on top.

Video

Notes

Zucchini - I used three medium zucchini which together weighed about 730 grams. Try and get close to that weight but a bit more or less is fine.

Lemon - Just use 1 tablespoon if you don't want it really lemony.

Pasta portions - This is a generous 2 person size. I like to weigh my pasta portions, it takes 1 minute and ensures the perfect pasta to sauce ratio. I allow 100 grams dried per person or 150 grams fresh per person.

Saucy factor - Cream sauces thicken up SO quickly off the heat so I always like it to be extra saucy in the pan. This is where pasta water is key.

Author: Emilie Pullar

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Course: Vegetarian

Cuisine: Italian Inspired

Keyword: creamy zucchini pasta, summer pasta, zucchini pasta

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