This easy, vegetarian Lemon Zucchini Pasta is bursting with fresh summer flavor! Made with garlic, parmesan, herbs, and white wine, you won’t believe how sumptuous this pasta is despite being made without cream. It’s perfect for a dinner al fresco on the patio, served with a glass of chilled white wine!
Everyone who gardens in New England knows that summer means zucchini, zucchini, zucchini! Personally I haven’t had a large quantity of zucchini growing, but the ones that have grown are big enough to equal 3-4 small zucchinis. So of course I’ve been working on how to get through it all!
This Lemon Zucchini Pasta was originally going to be a shrimp scampi, but the aforementioned zucchini harvest led me in a different direction. Then I was going to call it zucchini scampi, but that didn’t seem quite right. So Lemon Zucchini Pasta it is!
This pasta has a delicious risotto-y flavor thanks to the staples of white wine, garlic, butter, and parmesan. I also added a bunch of parsley to keep things from getting too heavy, and plenty of lemon juice to brighten things up. I know you’ll love this pasta, enjoy! :)
If you love delicious summer pastas, you should try my Zucchini Aglio e Olio pasta, this Heirloom Tomato Pasta Salad, or this Smoky Vegan Tomato Pasta!
Lemon Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients
Step One
- 5 Cups Zucchini about 4-5 medium zucchini
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Step Two
- 1 Lb Spaghetti
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 6 Tbsp Salted Butter
Step Three
- 1 Cup Parmesan freshly grated
- 1 Cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- Juice from 1 Lemon
- Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- Red Pepper Flakes to taste, optional
Instructions
- Start by reading the entire recipe first, because it will require some careful timing, so it's best to know what's coming ahead!
- Now, prep all of your vegetables for all steps of this recipe. Cut your zucchini in half, lengthwise, then chop into semicircles about 1/4 – 1/2" wide. It doesn't have to be exact. You should have about 5 cups of zucchini semicircles.
- In addition, prep your garlic by finely mincing it, and chop up your parsley.
Step One
- Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add in the olive oil. Once the oil gets hot, add in the zucchini. Sprinkle it with the salt and pepper. Sauté the zucchini, stirring every 30 seconds or so, for about 5-7 minutes, or until the zucchini is softened but not mushy.
- When done, turn off the heat and remove the zucchini from the pan and put it on a plate. Let the zucchini rest while you're making the rest of the recipe.
Step Two
- Bring a pot of SALTED water to boil in a pasta pot.
- Add in your spaghetti to start cooking. You want to time this so that the pasta is nearing al dente by the time you add the butter to the sauté pan (three steps ahead of now).
- After spaghetti has been cooking for a few minutes, carefully take out a cup or so of the pasta cooking water and set it aside. You want to make sure you retrieve the water at the point where it has some of the starch from the pasta in it, so don't take it too soon.
- Bring the same pan that you used for the zucchini back to medium-low heat. Add in the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to let the garlic brown!
- Then, add the white wine to the pan and stir it around, scraping any bits you can off the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, and add in the butter. Stir until all of the butter is melted. (You can add more salt here if you want, but by using the salted butter and the salted pasta water, you may be fine with the salt level as is.)
- At this point, the pasta should be slightly undercooked but nearing al dente. You want the pasta to be at a firmer texture than you'd eat it at because you will continue cooking in the sauce.
- Using tongs, take the pasta directly from the water and place it in the sauté pan (which should still be on low heat). Once all of the pasta is in, add in about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then toss the pasta in the sauce until it's all coated. (You can add more pasta water increments of 1-2 tbsp if things get dry.) Continue to cook the pasta in the sauce until it's al dente.
Step Three
- Once the pasta is al dente, take it off the heat. Add the cooked zucchini back in, then squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon, and stir.
- Add in the freshly-grated parmesan and chopped parsley, and stir. Add on black pepper flakes and red pepper flakes if you'd like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This pasta will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Lemon Zucchini Pasta FAQs
How long does this pasta last in the refrigerator?
This pasta is best kept in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Can you make Lemon Zucchini Pasta without cream?
Yes! This pasta is cooked in a similar style to risotto, so it’s very creamy without actually containing cream. Of course, you can add cream if you want to! :)
Is Lemon Zucchini Pasta healthy?
It depends on your definition of health! For me, eating healthy means having as many fruits, vegetables, and plant foods as I can, as often as I can, while still indulging in dishes that make me happy. Pasta with lots of butter and garlic is definitely something that makes me happy! Food should be good for your soul, too. And remember – everything in moderation, including moderation!
Can I make this pasta with yellow summer squash instead?
Yes, absolutely! Zucchini and yellow summer squash are very similar in taste and texture, so you won’t need to adjust the instructions at all if you make this swap.
Can this recipe be made vegan?
Yes! Just replace the butter with vegan butter, and omit the parmesan cheese (or use a vegan parm).
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes, dinner parties, and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
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