Tomato Zucchini Pasta (Printable)

Fresh zucchini and tomatoes coat al dente pasta in this light 30-minute Italian dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium zucchinis, sliced into half-moons
02 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small onion, chopped

→ Pasta

05 - 12 oz spaghetti or penne

→ Sauces & Oil

06 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
10 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
11 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 2-3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
03 - Add zucchini to the skillet and sauté 4-5 minutes, until starting to soften.
04 - Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 5-7 minutes, until tomatoes break down and zucchini is tender.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet, along with reserved pasta water as needed for saucy consistency. Toss well.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in basil and half the Parmesan. Serve in bowls, topped with remaining Parmesan and extra basil.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something you'd wait all afternoon for
  • The vegetables create their own silky sauce as they cook down, so you don't need to measure anything perfectly
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to really mingle
02 -
  • Reserving that pasta water is the secret to restaurant-quality sauce, the starch helps everything cling together beautifully
  • Don't rush the vegetables, they need time to soften and release their own juices into the oil
  • The red pepper flakes mellow out as they cook, so don't be afraid to add them even if you're sensitive to heat
03 -
  • Cut your zucchini a bit thicker if you want more texture, thinner if you prefer it to practically melt into the sauce
  • If using regular tomatoes instead of cherry, give them a few extra minutes to really break down and thicken
  • The pasta continues cooking in the skillet, so pulling it early from the boiling water prevents mushiness

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