Looking for a delicious and easy pasta dish to make this week? This Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes recipe is perfect for you! Ready in less than 30 minutes, this light and delicious pasta recipe makes the perfect summer recipe.
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Among the vast array of pasta dishes, Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes stands out as a quick, satisfying Italian classic.
It's an excellent way to utilize zucchini and potatoes, offering a healthy and flavorful meal that even kids will enjoy.
This dish, enhanced with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, is cooked over medium heat in a large skillet, creating a delightful blend of textures and tastes. Don't forget to top it off with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for that perfect finish.
Did I mention how quickly it comes together? So what are you waiting for? Go grab those ingredients and try this amazing recipe today!
Jump To
- 💖Why you will love this pasta and zucchini recipe
- 🛒 What ingredients are in pasta with zucchini?
- Equipment you need to make this pasta
- 🍽️ How to make pasta with zucchini recipe?
- What to serve it with?
- 🫙 Leftover and Storing
- 📃 Substitutions & Variations
- ☑️ Lora's Tips
- ❓ FAQ'S
- One last thing…I promise.
- Some other pasta recipes to enjoy:
- 📖 Recipe
- Easy Pasta with Zucchini (and Potatoes)
💖Why you will love this pasta and zucchini recipe
- No-fuss: Simple preparation and cooking process.
- Budget-friendly: Uses affordable ingredients for a cost-effective meal.
- Naturally vegan: Made with plant-based ingredients.
- Easily made gluten-free: Can substitute with gluten-free pasta.
- Nut-free: Safe for those with nut allergies.
- Versatile: Customize with red pepper flakes for extra spice.
- Flavorful: Cooked with extra virgin olive oil for rich taste.
- Cheese option: Can be topped with freshly grated Parmesan for extra flavor.
- Convenient: Perfect for quick, healthy meals any day.
This recipe was so easy to make ! It’s fairly simple and I even added grated parmesan on top which added even more flavor !
Hannah
🛒 What ingredients are in pasta with zucchini?
- Pasta: Serves as the dish's base, providing texture and substance.
- Extra-virgin olive oil Adds richness and depth of flavor, used for sautéing.
- Onion: Enhances the overall taste with sweetness and aroma.
- Zucchini: Brings freshness, color, and a slight crunch to the dish.
- Potatoes: Add heartiness and a creamy texture.
- Sea saltand pepper: Season the dish, enhancing the natural flavors.
- Red pepper flakes : Optional for a spicy kick.
- Vegan cheese/Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino: Adds a savory, creamy element, adaptable for vegan or dairy preferences.
Equipment you need to make this pasta
- A cutting board and a sharp knife for prepping vegetables
- A large pot for boiling pasta
- A large skillet for sautéing the ingredients
- A colander for draining the pasta
- Tongs or Pasta Spoon: To serve the pasta.
🍽️ How to make pasta with zucchini recipe?
- In a large pot of water (for a pound of pasta, add 1.5 tablespoons of salt). Bring the water to a boil and begin the sauce. As soon as the water boils, add in the potatoes and let them boil for a few minutes.
- Heat up the olive oil in a large saute' pan. Once it is shimmering, add in the onions. Once they soften a little, add in the zucchini.
- Sprinkle on some sea salt and freshly ground pepper and stir to combine.
- Use a slotted spoon to pull out the potatoes from the pasta water, and add them to the saute' pan with the zucchini and onions. Add the pasta to the pot that had the potatoes and cook the pasta until it's just before al dente (1 minute under the cooking time on the box).
- Cook the zucchini and onions with the potatoes until they soften (should be about 10 minutes). While it's cooking, you could add a little vegetable broth (if you have any on hand)or some of the pasta water (about a 1/2 cup).
- Check the seasoning and add some salt, if needed.
- Just before the pasta reaches al dente, strain it (reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water) and add it to the saute’ pan with the sauce.
- Raise the heat a little and stir the pasta to combine with the zucchini sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a tablespoon or so of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce.
- Serve the pasta with some chopped fresh Italian parsley and sprinkle on freshly ground pepper and some red pepper flakes (optional, only if you like it hot!).
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
What to serve it with?
- Easy Italian Cauliflower Fritters Recipe: A delicious and simple way to enjoy cauliflower, these fritters are seasoned with Italian herbs and fried to perfection.
- Italian Stuffed Zucchini Flowers: Delicate zucchini flowers stuffed with a flavorful cheese mixture, battered, and fried for a delightful appetizer.
- Authentic and Easy Italian Bruschetta Recipe: Classic bruschetta with a topping of fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil on toasted bread slices.
🫙 Leftover and Storing
Once the zucchini pasta has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s not a pasta recipe I would freeze, so I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
📃 Substitutions & Variations
- Pasta: Swap rigatoni or penne with gluten-free pasta or whole wheat pasta for a healthier twist.
- Potatoes: Try sweet potatoes for a sweeter taste and additional nutrients.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil can be a good substitute for a lighter flavor.
- Onion: Leeks or green onions for a milder onion flavor.
- Zucchini: Yellow squash is a great alternative with a similar texture.
- Broth: Chicken broth can add more depth if not adhering to a vegetarian diet.
- Herbs: Mix it up with oregano or thyme instead of parsley or basil.
- Cheese: Explore different vegan cheese options or aged cheeses like Asiago for non-vegans.
☑️ Lora's Tips
- Pre-cook potatoes slightly to ensure even cooking with the zucchini.
- Use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Salt the pasta water generously for well-seasoned pasta.
- Sauté onions until they're just soft to avoid over-browning.
- Add pasta water to the vegetables to create a silky sauce.
- Cook pasta 1 minute less than al dente for the perfect texture after mixing with the sauce.
- Use fresh herbs for a burst of flavor.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your heat preference.
❓ FAQ'S
I used rigatoni, but you could use penne or whatever short pasta you like. Spaghetti also goes well with this recipe.
Yes, that is another way to make this pasta recipe. In the time you're cooking the pasta, the veggies will also cook up. I just prefer to not have the zucchini fall apart, and when I've made it boiling with the pasta, it does get mushier. Totally up to you and how you prefer the texture of the zucchini.
It’s really important to salt the pasta water. In 3-4 quarts of water for a pound of pasta, the amount to use should be 1-½ tablespoons of salt. If you’re making ½ pound of pasta, use ½ the amount of salt. If you don’t salt the pasta water, the end result will be very flavorless.
If you're not vegan (or dairy-free), go ahead and add some grated Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino cheese. If you're vegan, use your favorite "parmesan" shreds.
Yes, the zucchini sauce is naturally gluten-free. But go ahead and use your favorite GF pasta to serve with it.
To cut zucchini for pasta, you can slice it into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Or you can cut it into small chunks.
Yes, zucchini pasta can taste good. Its mild flavor pairs well with a variety of sauces and seasonings, making it a versatile and healthy alternative to traditional pasta.
"Nerano" is a village on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, famous for its dish "Spaghetti alla Nerano," which is made with zucchini.
To cook pasta with zucchini, follow the same process as making it: sauté zucchini and then combine with the pasta.
To add zucchini to pasta, simply mix the sautéed zucchini into the cooked pasta along with any other desired ingredients.
One last thing…I promise.
Just a quick request: if you enjoyed this pasta with zucchini and potatoes recipe as much as we did, would you kindly leave me a 5-star rating and a short (or long!)comment–the ratings are what helps get my recipes and hard work discovered, so I can keep leaving you more delish recipes!
Your comments mean the world to me….and I really SMILE when I read them. Thank you so much! XX
Some other pasta recipes to enjoy:
- Pasta with Ricotta and Peas
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sage
- Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Pasta con le Sarde
- Easy Marinated Zucchini
- Easy and Healthy Zucchini Bread
Originally published June 2022
📖 Recipe
Easy Pasta with Zucchini (and Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
- sea salt
- 1 Russet potato peeled and quartered lengthwise then cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced (red, sweet or 1 large shallot)
- 2 small spring zucchini halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, or 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded with a spoon then thinly sliced
- sea salt (1-2 teaspoons or more, to your taste)
- freshly ground pepper (1 teaspoon, or more, to taste)
- ½ cup unsalted vegetable broth optional
- ½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves only, chopped or fresh basil
- crushed red pepper flakes to serve
- Cheese your favorite vegan shreds or Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino if you’re not vegan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water boils, add in the potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
- In a large saute’ pan, add the extra-virgin olive oil and heat until it’s shimmering. Add in the onions until they soften. Add in the zucchini and stir to combine with the onions.
- Use a slotted spoon to grab the potatoes out of the pot and add to the pan with the zucchini and onions. Stir to combine and add some salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Salt the pot of water that had the potatoes and add in the pasta (see notes above about how much salt to add). Cook the pasta until it is 1 minute less than al dente.
- Meanwhile, keep cooking the zucchini and potatoes while the pasta is cooking. If you have any unsalted vegetable broth on hand, go ahead and add a little bit in (or a ladle of the pasta water) to loosen up the zucchini and potatoes.
- The zucchini sauce should be ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta (you want the potatoes to be tender when you touch with a fork and the zucchini to soften).
- Check the seasoning of the zucchini sauce, and add more salt and freshly ground pepper, to your taste.
- Drain the pasta when it is just before reaching al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Raise the heat of the zucchini sauce a little. Add the pasta to the saute’ pan with the sauce. Stir to combine and add a little bit of pasta water (a tablespoon at a time) if the sauce is too thick to loosen it up a little.
- Plate up the pasta and add on some chopped Italian parsley (or fresh basil) and crushed red pepper flakes (optional). ENJOY!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Pre-cook potatoes slightly to ensure even cooking with the zucchini.
- Use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Salt the pasta water generously for well-seasoned pasta.
- Sauté onions until they're just soft to avoid over-browning.
- Add pasta water to the vegetables to create a silky sauce.
- Cook pasta 1 minute less than al dente for the perfect texture after mixing with the sauce.
- Use fresh herbs for a burst of flavor.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your heat preference.
hannah says
This recipe was so easy to make ! It’s fairly simple and I even added grated parmesan on top which added even more flavor !
Lora says
Hi Hannah-THANK YOU for letting me know you enjoy this easy zucchini pasta. xx