This Creamy Zucchini Pasta tastes just like summer! Made with fresh zucchini, basil, and spinach, the sauce comes together quickly and blends into a smooth, creamy finish. It’s perfect for easy warm weather dinners, but great any time of the year!
My favorite part about the green zucchini sauce is that it’s creamy but light and herby, like a pesto but with the mild and delicate sweetness that really shines through. Topped with sweet corn and creamy burrata, this bowl of pasta is downright gorgeous!
Quick Look: Zucchini Pasta Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Method: Sautéed and blended zucchini pasta sauce, tossed with pasta
- Main Ingredients: Zucchini, Greek yogurt, ricotta, spinach, basil
- Flavor Profile: Creamy, fresh and light, mildly sweet
- Ideal for: Easy summer dinners, light meals, using up fresh zucchini
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Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini: You’ll need about 3 medium zucchini, sliced. Use ones that are firm and not too large, as bigger zucchini tend to have more seeds and more water.
- Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese: For a balance of thickness, creaminess, and tang.
- Fresh baby spinach and basil: Both give the sauce a vibrant green color and fresh herb flavor. Add extra spinach if you want a darker green sauce. Don’t use frozen.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion and plenty of fresh garlic are sautéed with the zucchini.
- Fresh lemon plus zest to brighten up the sauce, which makes a real difference in flavor! Don’t skip the lemons.
- Pasta: For this zucchini pasta recipe, I like to use long pastas like fettuccine, but spaghetti or linguine work great too. This recipe makes enough sauce for a full pound of pasta!
- Toppings: Charred corn, lemon zest, fresh basil, burrata, and a drizzle of olive oil for serving.
As always, quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ricotta: If you’d rather not use ricotta, swap with more Greek yogurt. Keep in mind the sauce will be a bit tangier, and you’ll need to add some extra seasoning too.
- Pasta shapes: Long pastas (my preference) or short pasta both work well here. If using a short pasta, I’d recommend cavatappi, rigatoni, or rotini.
- I would not recommend using yellow squash here. Although they are similar in texture and flavor, you want the zucchini pasta sauce to be vibrant green.
How to Make Zucchini Pasta
- Cook pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Sauté zucchini. Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook the diced onions until softened. Then, add the zucchini and minced garlic, and cook for another 3-5 minutes until tender.
- Transfer the sautéd zucchini mixture to a large blender (reserve some for garnish). Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the blender along with the Greek yogurt, ricotta, spinach, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Blend until you get a smooth and uniformly green zucchini sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more pasta water if needed.
- Warm the sauce and toss. Return the sauce into the pan to warm slightly, then toss in the cooked pasta until fully coated. Remove from heat. Tip: Don’t let it come to a boil, as this can cause the yogurt to split.
- Serve and garnish. Sauté corn over high heat for just 2 minutes for a quick char. Top your creamy zucchini pasta with the corn, burrata, reserved zucchini, basil, a drizzle of olive oil.
Tips for Success
- Salt your pasta water generously so the pasta itself is seasoned throughout, not just the sauce.
- Save pasta water before draining. I found that ½ to 1 cup was enough, but it’s worth saving a little extra just in case you need it.
- Use a large blender so you can blend the whole batch at once. If your blender is on the smaller side, do it in batches.
- A food processor can work in a pinch, but you may need to pulse it longer to get a smooth consistency. A blender is best, in my experience.
- If you love burrata cheese (me!), this creamy zucchini pasta is perfect for it. I love the creamy and cool contrast of the cheese with the fresh zucchini sauce.
Make Ahead and Reheating
- Make ahead: The zucchini pasta sauce can be blended up to 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Warm it gently in a pan before using.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it because dairy-based sauces like this one tend to separate and turn grainy once thawed.
- Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce
What to Serve with This Pasta
Add protein: Try this easy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets, Grilled Chicken Skewers, or our favorite marinated grilled shrimp (lemon garlic marinade).
Salad: A super simple arugula salad, or even this grilled peach salad for extra summery vibes!
Bread: Crusty bread like baguette, or cheesy garlic bread is great for soaking up every last bit of sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Is the sauce served warm or cold?
Warm! Just be sure to only gently heat it through in the pan. Don’t boil or simmer.
Why is my sauce grainy instead of smooth?
This usually means the blending time was too short. Give it a full minute or more of continuous blending to break it down into a silky, uniform sauce, adding a little more pasta water as needed.
What can I do if I forgot to reserve pasta water?
Add some chicken broth, or for more creaminess you can use half-and-half.
More Summer-Inspired Dinners
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Creamy Zucchini Pasta
This creamy zucchini pasta is so delicious! Made with a creamy and delicate sauce loaded with zucchini, fresh basil, spinach, Greek yogurt, and ricotta, then topped with corn and burrata cheese. This zucchini pasta is gorgeous and tastes just like summer.
Servings 4 people
Calories 624kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the creamy zucchini sauce:
- 3 medium zucchini, sliced - about 4 heaping cups
- ½ a medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Olive oil - for sauteing
- 1 cup Greek yogurt - at room temperature
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach - packed
- ½ cup fresh basil - packed
- Juice of ½ a lemon - plus the zest
- Salt and pepper - to taste
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta - or spaghetti, linguine
- ¼ cup corn kernels - for garnish, fresh or frozen
- Lemon zest - for garnish
- Fresh basil, sliced - for garnish
- 1 ball burrata cheese - for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta: In a pot with generously salted water, cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water (or more if you want, just in case). Drain the rest, then set aside.
- Saute zucchini mixture: Meanwhile, over medium heat in a large pan, heat a few drizzles of olive oil and cook the onions for about 3 minutes until softened. Then, add the sliced zucchini and minced garlic, and cook for another 3-5 minutes until tender. Reserve a few pieces of sauteed zucchini for garnish.
- Add to blender: Into a large blender, add the sauteed zucchini mixture, ½ a cup of the reserved pasta water, Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, baby spinach, basil, plus the zest and juice of ½ a lemon.
- Blend until smooth: Blend on high speed until smooth and the color is uniformly light green. It should take about 1 minute or a little longer for the sauce to fully incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, adjust consistency if needed, then blend for another few seconds.
- Return sauce to pan: Return the blended zucchini sauce into the pan to gently warm it up over medium-low heat. Note: Don't bring it to a boil, as high heat can cause the yogurt in the sauce to split.
- Add pasta: Return the pasta and toss with the sauce until coated. If needed, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to finish the sauce. Turn off the heat.
- Prep the toppings: In a small skillet, sauté corn for just 2 minutes over high heat to give it a quick char.
- Garnish and serve: Top the creamy zucchini pasta with torn burrata cheese, the corn, the reserved sautéd zucchini, fresh basil, a few drizzles of olive oil, and lemon zest. Enjoy!
Notes
- Zucchini: Use firm, medium zucchini. Large ones contain too much water and seeds. Don’t use yellow squash for this recipe.
- Blend well continuously for about one minute or so in a large blender to guarantee a smooth, silky texture.
- Warm up the sauce, but do not let it boil. Warm the blended sauce gently over low heat. High heat can cause the yogurt to split.
- Reserve pasta water. You need it for the sauce. I used about ½ cup, but save a little more just in case. If you forgot, you can instead use broth or even half-and-half.
- Use fresh greens: Use fresh baby spinach and basil for color and flavor. Do not use frozen.
- Make Ahead: Blend the sauce up to 1 day in advance, store in the fridge, and warm gently before tossing.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Reheating: Warm gently over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen.
- Freezing is not recommended. The dairy base will separate and turn grainy when thawed.
- Replace ricotta with extra Greek yogurt if you’d like, but add extra seasoning to balance the increased tanginess.
- Pasta: Fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguine are ideal, but textured short pasta like cavattappi, rigatoni, or rotini also work well for the sauce to cling.
- Add a protein: Top with grilled chicken, marinated shrimp, or your favorite protein to make it a heartier meal.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 914mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1514IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 3mg
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