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.
Recipe: $7.42 | Per Serving: $0.93 | Servings: 8
This zucchini penne 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 This Recipe Works
- 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 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
Ingredient Notes:
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.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
📖 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.
🔪 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.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Adding salt to boiling water enhances pasta flavor.
- Heat 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.
🍳 Reheating
Microwave Reheating: For individual servings, transfer the pasta to a microwave-safe plate and heat for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.
Stovetop Reheating: For larger portions, place the pasta in a large pot over medium heat on the stove. Add a few tablespoons of water or butter to prevent sticking. Reheat until warmed through, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat as needed.
🥗 Side Dishes
You can serve this dish with just about anything, but I think some Oven Baked Brats would be great. Make sure to wash it down with some Creamy Lemonade for a more summer-like feel.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
Precooking Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then rinse it in cold water. Store it in a gallon-sized zipper-topped baggie in the fridge overnight.
Prepping Zucchini: Chop the zucchini the night before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Quick Meal Preparation: When ready to make your meal, everything will be ready, allowing you to have it on the table in about 10 minutes.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Fridge Storage: Keep any uneaten pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat again before serving.
💭 Recipe 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.
❤️ More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you tried this zucchini penne pasta, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne noodles ($0.98)
- ½ cup reserved pasta water ($0.00)
- 2 large zucchini, chopped ($1.78)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil ($0.14)
- 4 Tablespoons butter ($0.37)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic ($0.32)
- 1 teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.04)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ($2.98)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice ($0.06)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded ($0.74)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in your penne pasta.
- Cook as directed on the product packaging until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the zucchini mixture.
- Wash your zucchini and slice in half. Remove the ends.
- Chop each zucchini half into ¼ inch thick slices. Set aside for now.
- In a large pan, add your olive oil, butter, and minced garlic.
- Sautee together until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the zucchini, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes until softened.
- Add in halved cherry tomatoes during the final minute or two of the zucchini cooking.
- Cook for the remaining time and allow the cherry tomatoes to soften.
- Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining the pasta into a colander. Add drained pasta to the pan with the zucchini and tomatoes.
- Add in the lemon juice and water. Mix well to combine.
- Add in the shredded parmesan cheese.
- Mix well until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- Add salt to boiling water for better pasta flavor.
- Heat zucchini at medium heat (350°F); avoid burning or undercooking.
- Rest zucchini on a warm burner if ready before pasta.
- Microwave for 1-2 minutes or warm on the stove with water/butter for larger portions.
- Precook pasta and refrigerate in a bag. Store zucchini separately.
- With these steps, dinner's ready in 10 minutes.
- Keep leftover pasta airtight in the fridge, good for 5 days. Reheat as needed.
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