Zucchini penne pasta is a vegetarian dinner option perfect for fresh summer squash. It's tangy and perfect for hot summer days when you want to eat a lighter meal.
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This Zucchini Penne Pasta is the perfect light dinner on any hot summer evening. Enjoy it with a glass of wine from the back porch and watch the sunset in the distance.
Modified from my Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta, this recipe harnesses a wonderful balance of savory, tangy, and buttery flavors in every bite.
While we usually turn zucchini into delicious quick breads like Amish Zucchini Bread and Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread, sometimes we take a more savory route.
This dish is one of our Delicious Summer Squash Recipes that we come back to year after year.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's easy to make. Boil pasta in one pot and saute some veggies in another, and by the time the pasta has finished cooking, you can toss everything together and serve.
- It goes great with lighter side dishes. Pair your meatless pasta dinner with some toasted Frozen Garlic Bread in Air Fryer and a simple green salad like our Iceberg Salad for a complete meal experience. You can even serve some Chocolate Crockpot Lava Cake for an easy after-dinner dessert.
- It's a frugal recipe. This dish is great for helping to trim down the grocery budget. At less than $1 per serving, this recipe is perfect for meatless Mondays.
🛒 Ingredients
Pasta- You'll need a box of dry pasta for this recipe. I recommend using penne pasta, but any pasta type or variety should work just fine.
Pasta Water- Before draining your pasta, reserve some water. This will help to make the sauce stretch and adhere to the pasta better.
Parmesan cheese- I recommend using shredded parmesan cheese (from the cold deli section of your grocery store) as it will melt and taste better than the dried parmesan from a can.
Cherry Tomatoes- Using cherry tomatoes will give us a vibrant burst of color and tangy flavor to bring the recipe full circle with complementary flavors. We love adding cherry tomatoes to savory dishes like Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes and Tilapia with Spinach and Tomatoes.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Meaty Variation: For a meaty variation, you can add in some sliced turkey sausage. Slice them into coins and add them to the pan with the zucchini so they can cook and become caramelized. Yum!
Creamy Variation: By swapping out the reserved pasta water for heavy cream, you can get a creamy pasta variation.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use in-season zucchini. Summer squash is much cheaper (and fresher) in peak season, making this dish even more budget friendly.
Swap proteins smartly. If you want to add meat, choose lower-cost options like turkey sausage or leftover rotisserie chicken. Ground turkey also works if you sauté it with the zucchini.
Use parmesan alternatives. Shredded parmesan from the deli tastes best, but budget-friendly grated parmesan or Romano works too, use what's on sale.
🥄 Instructions for Zucchini Penne Pasta
Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in your penne pasta (Image 1).
Step 2: Cook as directed on the product packaging until al dente (Image 2).
Step 3: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the zucchini mixture.
Step 4: Wash your zucchini and slice it in half. Remove the ends (Image 3).
Step 5: Chop each zucchini half into ¼ inch thick slices (Image 4). Set aside for now.
Step 6: In a large pan, add your olive oil, butter, and minced garlic (Image 5).
Step 7: Sautee together until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant (Image 6).
Step 8: Add in the zucchini, salt, and pepper (Image 7).
Step 9: Cook for about 8 minutes until softened (Image 8).
Step 10: Add in halved cherry tomatoes during the final minute or two of the zucchini cooking.
Step 11: Cook for the remaining time and allow the cherry tomatoes to soften (Image 9).
Step 12: Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining the pasta into a colander. Add drained pasta to the pan with the zucchini and tomatoes (Image 10).
Step 13: Add in the lemon juice and water. Mix well to combine.
Step 14: Add in the shredded parmesan cheese (Image 11).
Step 15: Mix well until the pasta is evenly coated (Image 12).
Serve warm and enjoy.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Adding salt to boiling water enhances the flavor of the pasta.
- Hthe eat zucchini over medium heat (about 350°F). Excessive heat can burn it, while low heat may not cook it in time for pasta.
- If the zucchini finishes early, turn off the heat and let the pan rest on the warm burner until ready to combine.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage: Store leftover Zucchini Penne Pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Warm single servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. For larger portions, reheat on the stovetop over medium heat with a splash of water or butter to prevent sticking.
Make Ahead: Cook the pasta and chop the zucchini ahead of time, storing both in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, everything comes together in about 10 minutes.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
This light Zucchini Penne Pasta pairs well with simple sides like garlic bread, a green salad (Iceberg Salad works great), or roasted veggies. It's also a refreshing match with citrus drinks like Creamy Lemonade or a glass of iced tea.
- Iceberg SaladRecipe $5.00 / Serving $0.83
- Creamy LemonadeRecipe $2.74 / Serving $0.27
- Roasted Baby Bok ChoyRecipe $4.02 / Serving $1.01
- Oven Roasted Peppers and OnionsRecipe $3.71 / Serving $0.93
❓ Zucchini Penne Pasta FAQs
Thanks to the smooth skin of zucchini, they are one of the easier veggies to clean. Just run them under cool running water and brush your hand or a soft brush along the sides, tops, and bottom to remove any dirt.
Yes! Zucchini skin is where most of the benefits like to hide. While you can peel the skin, there's no reason to because it's so thin and will easily soften as it gets cooked.
Yes, a zucchini and courgette are the same thing. The term "courgette" is commonly used in British English and some other parts of Europe, while "zucchini" is the preferred term in American English. Despite the difference in names, they refer to the same summer squash, which is a versatile and mild-flavored vegetable.
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🐝 If you tried this zucchini penne pasta, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 ounces) penne pasta - ($0.98)
- 2 large zucchini, chopped - ($1.78)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - ($0.14)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - ($0.37)
- 4 teaspoons garlic, minced - ($0.32)
- 1 teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper - ($0.04)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved - ($2.98)
- ½ cup pasta water, reserved - ($0.00)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - ($0.06)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded - ($0.74)
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the penne, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Prep zucchini. While the pasta cooks, wash the zucchini, trim the ends, and chop into ¼ inch pieces.
- Sauté base. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Cook vegetables. Add the zucchini, salt, and black pepper and cook for about 8 minutes, until softened. Add the cherry tomatoes during the last 1 to 2 minutes.
- Combine. Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with the lemon juice and reserved pasta water. Toss to combine.
- Finish. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve. Serve warm.
Notes
- Recipe Tips. Salt pasta water generously for best flavor. Cook zucchini over medium heat to avoid burning. If vegetables finish early, keep warm until pasta is ready.
- Make Ahead. Pasta and zucchini can be cooked separately and refrigerated, then combined and reheated for a quick meal.
- Reheating. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or reheat on the stove with a splash of water or butter.
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutritional Information
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