Zucchini Lemon Pasta
I’m back with another delicious pasta recipe, and this time we are making a zucchini lemon pasta. Featuring sun-dried tomatoes, homemade cashew cream, and basil, it comes together in less than an hour!
Ever since that baked feta pasta went viral on TikTok a few years ago, I have been obsessed with baked pasta.
The principle behind these recipes is very simple. All you do is roast a delicious combination of vegetables, add some cooked pasta, and bind it all together with creamy sauce.
If you’re a fan of simple and nutritious meals like this one, you’ll love PlantYou Scrappy Cooking! And before you ask, yes, it has plenty of pasta and noodle recipes, including a delicious orzo casserole on p.150. Best of all, the entire cookbook is geared toward helping you reduce food waste.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Anyone who tried to grow zucchini knows how prolific these plants are. If you need recipe inspiration, this zucchini lemon pasta is an excellent dish to have in your arsenal.
- Easy-peasy. Most of the cooking process is hands-off. You can use your time to do something you enjoy while this pasta dish comes together.
- This dish is an amazing combination of creamy and refreshing. Paired with lemon and zucchini, pasta tastes light and fresh. The rest of the components create an homage to Italian flavors, ideal for the summer!
- As always, this is an opportunity to get creative. Feel free to add leftover produce like greens or bell peppers, use a different type of pasta, or tweak the seasoning.
Zucchini Lemon Pasta Ingredients
- Zucchini is the start of the show. It makes up the bulk of the sauce without adding an overpowering flavor to the overall dish.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are a great way to inject a more savory element into the sauce, and you can easily make sun-dried tomatoes at home. For this pasta dish, we are also using the oil infused with sun-dried tomatoes.
- Italian seasoning is a versatile blend of dried herbs typically present in (you guessed it) Italian cuisine. A combo of rosemary, oregano, basil, and marjoram is a very easy way to sprinkle extra aroma into your meal.
- Fresh basil leaves are a must! For this zucchini lemon pasta, we are adding some to cook with the sauce, as well as saving a few leaves for serving.
- Cashew cream binds everything beautifully together, creating an indulgent creamy base.
- Lemon juice helps to add an element of acidity, which cuts through the richness and creates a sense of lightness.
Hack It!
- I was inspired by the Italian flavors, which is why this dish features fresh basil and Italian herb seasoning. However, you can use virtually any other greens, depending on what you have available. Try this recipe with spinach, kale, parsley, or chives.
- You’ll need something creamy to bind the sauce together. This could be homemade cashew cream, sunflower cream, or store-bought vegan cream cheese. You can even use full-fat coconut milk if you don’t mind the flavor.
- I used rigatoni for this zucchini lemon pasta. However, there is no rule to say that you have to as well. In fact, you can also adjust your choice of pasta if you have a gluten allergy or prefer something different (like lentil pasta).
- Vegan parm is optional, but as we all know, it makes everything better! Grind some nutritional yeast and pine nuts together in a pestle and mortar for a quick homemade version. Use sunflower seeds for a nut-free variation.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Start by preheating the oven to 400F. Use this time to prep your ingredients.
Add zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, basil, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, salt, and the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into the casserole dish. Toss everything together.
Step 2: Slice the top off a whole head of garlic and place it at the center of your dish. Add vegan cream cheese or cashew cream.
Step 3: Cover the casserole dish with foil or a lid, then place it in the oven for 45 minutes, mixing the vegetables halfway through.
By the time it’s ready, the zucchini should be slightly caramelized.
Step 4: With approximately 20 minutes left until the vegetables are done, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the liquid, reserving about a cup of pasta water.
Step 5: Carefully remove the garlic from the casserole dish, and when it cools down a little, squeeze the cloves back into the dish.
Step 6: Add half of the pasta water you reserved earlier, and roughly mash the zucchini mixture with a fork to form a thick sauce. If needed, add more pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.
Step 7: Stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Step 8: Serve your zucchini lemon pasta with fresh basil leaves and vegan parmesan as desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
My best advice is to always check the packaging for directions. Depending on the type of pasta, the cooking time may vary.
The general guideline is to fill a pot at least half-way with water, and add a pinch of salt. Wait for the water to boil, then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is soft but retains its shape. Drain the excess water but reserve some if the recipe requires pasta water for the sauce.
Split it into servings and store in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be sure to reheat thoroughly in the microwave or oven before you enjoy it.
Absolutely! You can freeze individual servings or the entire casserole. Here are some guidelines:
Check that your dish is freezer-safe.
Wait for the pasta to cool to room temp.
Cover and label your dish with its name and the date you made it.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you’re an adventurous cook who likes to try new recipes every week, you’ll love the PlantYou Planner! It’s an interactive meal planner app that’s fully vegan and largely WFPB. You get to choose from over 600 delicious recipes to create your own meal plan, or follow one of the plans curated by our team. In addition to all that, the app provides allergy swaps for most recipes and generates a custom shopping list. How amazing is that?
The Recipe: Zucchini Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs zucchini, about 4 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp oil, from the sundried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 head garlic, top sliced off
- 3 tbsp cashew cream, or vegan cream cheese
- 1 cup basil leaves, or spinach, chopped
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 4 cups rigatoni, reserve 1 cup of pasta water after cooking
Optional garnish
- Fresh basil
- Fresh parsley
- Vegan parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- To a casserole dish, add the sliced zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, paprika, basil, nutritional yeast, italian seasoning, salt and the sun dried tomato oil.
- Toss, and then place the whole garlic head in the middle and add vegan cream cheese. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if desired. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil or a lid, then pop in the oven for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through. The zucchini should be caramelized by the time it comes out of the oven.
- About 20 minutes before the casserole dish is done, prepare the pasta according to package directions, reserving up to a cup of pasta water.
- Remove the garlic from the casserole dish, and when safe to handle, squeeze out the cloves. Add around 1/2 cup of the pasta water, along with the lemon juice, and with the back of a fork, mash the zucchini mixture into a thick sauce. If needed, add a little more pasta water.
- Add the pasta and stir. Taste and adjust salt, as needed. Finish with more basil and vegan parm as desired.
Notes
- Do not overcook the pasta, or else it will fall apart as you integrate it into the dish. Check the packaging instructions for the best results.
- Use gluten-free pasta alternative if you have an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten.
- For nut-free vegan cream, try blending pre-soaked sunflower seeds with water. Alternatively, use coconut milk, store-bought vegan cream, or vegan cream cheese (oat or soy based).
- Meal prep: split into servings and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave or oven before eating.
Easier to make once I started the texture was surprisingly “cheesy” and a burst a of flavors to enjoy
I’m so thrilled you liked it 🙂