Pan-Roasted Zucchini Summer Pasta. It’s made with bright summer veggies like zucchini, pan-roasted with garlic and shallots. Then it’s tossed in light cream sauce, with fresh citrus, salt, pepper and a lot of Parmesan cheese. Simple, flavorful and very easy to make. If you’re looking for a fresh and light pasta to enjoy this summer, this one’s for you.
My son has been going through a very picky stage and per his pediatrician’s advice- pasta is the best way to sneak in veggies without him knowing. So I wanted to create something light yet flavorful and perfect for summer. This pasta is a great way to sneak extra veggies into your diet.
I chose zucchini because of its health benefits but also because it’s pretty muted in flavor. I can hide the fact that it’s a veggie by adding aromatics and herbs to make it undetectable. Plus, I’m a huge fan of zucchini. Especially pan-roasting it. So this pasta just made sense. #momwin!
Ingredients for Zucchini Summer Pasta
- Linguine
- zucchini
- garlic
- shallots
- parmesan
- salt + pepper
- lemon juice
- pasta water
- extra virgin olive oil
- unsalted butter
How to make roasted zucchini summer pasta?
The recipe starts by cooking linguine in salted water. Be sure to reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, sautè zucchini in olive oil until golden, and tender. Then add in the shallots garlic, red pepper flakes and pepper and sautè until fragrant.
Next, add in a splash of heavy cream, if desired and 1/2 cup of pasta water stirring continuously. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh lemon juice. Then add cooked pasta to the pan and toss continuously for the sauce to emulsify.
Reduce heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and continue to mix until the sauce comes together and the cheese is a melty delicious sauce.
Serve the pasta hot. Finish the pasta with fresh basil and parmesan and black pepper. Enjoy!
Tips/ Alternatives to make the best Zucchini Summer Pasta
- Cook your pasta al dente. It’ll continue to cook when tossed in the sauce.
- Feel free to blend the zucchini with an immersion blender to make a smoother sauce.
- When adding butter and pasta water to the pan, stir continuously to allow the sauce to emulsify and thicken.
- Boil pasta in salted water or chicken broth for more flavor.
- Feel free to add your favorite protein to this pasta. Chicken, shrimp or salmon will work great. Even mushrooms!
Looking for more summer recipes?
Honey Harissa Chicken Rice Bowl CAVA Inspired
Sushi At Home- Shrimp Tempura
Spicy Shrimp Crispy Rice
Bruschetta
If you try this Pan Roasted Zucchini Summer Pasta, please be sure to leave a comment, and or tag me on Instagram @cookwithci. I would love to see your recreations and hear your thoughts.
Roasted Zucchini Summer Pasta
Ingredients
- linguine
- 1 zucchini sliced into rounds
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 shallot diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup basil
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- salt + pepper
- red pepper flakes
- 1/2 lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. And cook linguine according to the instructions.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat, and add zucchini rounds to the pan. Pan-roast the zucchini on both sides until cooked down and semi-brown in color, about 6 minutes.
- Next add in shallots and garlic, sautè until fragrant. Season with red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
- Add in heavy cream and simmer. Then pour in 1 cup of pasta water. Bring to a boil and season with salt, pepper, onion powder and lemon juice.
- Add in cooked linguine and mix continuously allowing the sauce to emulsify. Add in cold knobs of butter while continuously mixing.
- Reduce the heat, sprinkle in fresh basil and Parmesan and continue to mix until well incorporated.
- Serve pasta hot. Top with more parmesan, basil and red pepper flakes and a drizzle of EOO finishing oil. Enjoy!
Did you make it?
Tag @cookwithci on Instagram and hashtag #CookwithCi
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