This Pasta with Creamy Zucchini Sauce may well become your new favourite zucchini recipe. Quick, easy, economical and a great way to use zucchinis to make a luscious pasta dinner!
Real Pasta with Creamy Zucchini Sauce – NOT “Zoodles”!
If you landed here expecting one of those low carb zucchini pasta “zoodle” recipes, you’re going to be sorely disappointed because this is about as far as you can get from a health food trend.
It’s real spaghetti all the way, in all its carb loaded glory, and the zucchini pasta sauce is swimming in cream.
Low carb? Absolutely not. Low fat? Nope.
100% delicious? YES!
What you need for Creamy Zucchini Pasta Sauce
This recipe is a wonderful way to turn 4 zucchinis into dinner. Here’s what you need.
Zucchinis – called courgettes in some parts of the world. 600g/1.2lb or so – bit more or less works fine;
Pasta – this can actually be made with any pasta at all, short or long. But it does work particularly well with long pasta because the shredded zucchini “clings” to it. For the photos and video, I used bucatini, the spaghetti that’s hollow inside, just for something different. Loved the extra thick pasta strands, not so fond of the strange sensation of sucking on a straw when I’m slurping up the pasta – but I think that’s me being immature? 😂
Garlic and onion – essential flavour base for this simple pasta sauce;
Parmesan – adds umami (savoury flavour) into this otherwise very simple pasta sauce. Best to use freshly grated if you can because it melts into the sauce better, but store bought grated works fine too. Don’t have parmesan? Use any cheese you have! Don’t have cheese? Add a sprinkle of chicken or vegetable stock powder;
Cream – because this is a creamy sauce! Evaporated milk is an excellent substitute. Coconut milk would work but I think would taste odd over pasta (I could be wrong);
Chicken or vegetable broth/stock – as above with parmesan, adds flavour into this sauce. Without it, it does lack a bit of flavour; and
Corn isn’t essential, but it does add cheerful little pops of colour and bursts of sweetness into this pasta dish. I’ve just used canned here but fresh corn would go down a treat.
How to make Pasta with Creamy Zucchini Sauce
Grating the zucchini is ideal to make a lovely creamy sauce that clings to the pasta. When you grate it, you might feel somewhat alarmed (or perhaps virtuous) at the enormous mound of zucchini. But don’t fret! It shrinks a LOT when cooked.
Key Step – tossing pasta with sauce
The creamy zucchini sauce will seem somewhat thin because the water coming out of the zucchini dilutes the cream. But don’t be concerned – once the pasta is added, the recipe calls for you to (enthusiastically) toss the pasta in the sauce for around 2 minutes on the stove which reduces the sauce and makes it cling to the pasta rather than pooling in the skillet.
The photo on the left is just when the pasta is added – you see how the sauce is just pooled in the skillet – then on the right is after 2 minutes of tossing. See how there’s no sauce left in the skillet? It’s all on the pasta!
Who ever would’ve thought you could make something so amazing from just a few drab looking zucchinis??
Being that this is loaded with zucchinis, you can totally justify not adding a side salad to your meal. But something fresh and crunchy wouldn’t go astray – try one of these:
And if you’re cooking to impress, add a side of Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread. Carb overload? Totally. But sometimes, you’ve just gotta live a little! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Pasta with Creamy Zucchini Sauce
Ingredients
- 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely sliced (brown, white, yellow)
- 600g / 1.2 lb zucchini (courgette), grated using standard box grater
- 1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
- 1 cup thickened/heavy cream
- 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock/broth , low sodium
- 3/4 cup parmesan , finely grated using microplane (Note 1 for store bought)
- 1 cup corn (canned, drained, about 2/3 of a can, OR fresh)
- 300g/ 10oz spaghetti, fettucini or other long strand pasta (I used bucatini)
Finishing & serving
- Parmesan
- Extra finishing options: Handful of fresh basil (stir in at end), sprinkle of bacon or pangrattato
Instructions
Cook Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Cook pasta per packet directions MINUS 2 minutes (yes, 2 whole minutes!) – pasta should be a bit too firm in the middle.
- Scoop out a big mug of pasta cook water, set aside (for sauce loosening, just in case), then drain.
Creamy zucchini sauce:
- Melt butter in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat.
- Garlic and onion: Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 1/2 minutes until onion is slightly golden.
- Cook Zucchini: Add zucchini, cook for 1 minute. Then add salt and pepper, then stir for 2 minutes until it reduces in volume by about 1/2.
- Add liquids: Stir in cream, chicken stock, parmesan and corn. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. It will still seem watery because water comes out of the zucchini – don't worry, it cooks down in the next step.
- Toss! Add pasta, then use two wooden spoons to toss well for 2 minutes, or until sauce reduces and is coating the pasta instead of pooling in the skillet. If it gets too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta cooking water. Pasta will finish cooking in this step.
- Serve: Remove from stove, serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Yesterday. Poor Geoff – he just wants to enjoy his Chili Mac and Cheese in peace, without Dozer staring at him with rivers of drool down his chest!!
(For those who are new here, Geoff is the local who lives at the Bayview dog beach. He looks after the park like its his own backyard. We are very lucky to have him as part of our community!)
Hi Nagi I rather this done your way but I had to Vegan~ise it for my daughter , it was very delicious. Started with a plant based butter, and made a vegan cream with silken tofu and soy milk 1:1 ratio in a blender, and used a micro plane cheese grater for the vegan bio cheese, was very nice to eat but would love to try your way as well. Vegans/ Vegetarians it is possible
Made this without the pasta, cooked it uncovered on medium to thicken the sauce. Tasted great, As a diabetic, this is a nice addition to my low carb lifestyle.
Yum – great dish. Have been enjoying a lot of your recipes recently- found a new enjoyment in cooking. We have been trying lots of new dishes. Thanks for the easy to follow recipes – the videos are helpful!
this looks so yummy – I’m always looking for recipes which i can tweak to make vegan so my son will eat same meal as rest of family – going to try this but with Alpro soya cream and vegan parmesan!
I would love to know how it goes Leonie!! N x
This came out so yummy! Much creamier and tastier than Alfredo! Thanks for the recipe…will be a staple in our home :=)
I’m so glad you loved it Priya!! N x
The Zucchini pasta (Courgettes we call them here in the UK) looks tasty and inviting, however, I don’t like courgettes Could you suggest another veggie that I could make this recipe with? Thanks! Big hugs to you and Gorgeous Dozer x x
This one is all about the zucchini Jayne! Although I imagine yellow/summer squash will work the same way. N x
I tried this tonight because I had to use some zucchini that was about to go bad. Hubby prefers yellow squash to zucchini and wasn’t thrilled when I bought it. I can’t eat corn so I tried the suggestion of bacon and sun dried tomatos instead. Dinner was a big hit and Hubby said he is looking forward to eating it again. Thank you again for another great recipe. Love to you and Dozer.
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Lisa!! N x
Nagi thank you so much, this recipe is redonkculous! I made this today and the whole family loved it. My son was a bit leary about corn in his pasta so he just wanted to “try” a bite first before committing to a whole bowl. Needless to say I had to pry the “trying a bite” bowl away from him just to give him more. I don’t think he was even breathing, he just kept shoveling it in his mouth 😂 This is definitely a keeper!
Love from Canada to you and dozer 💕
Woah that’s the best compliment Julia, I’m so happy it was a hit!! N x
Nagi, I’m so sorry to hear about Victoria. We were there about ten years ago and it’s such a beautiful place with gracious friendly people.
For the folks in Victoria I’ll pray
And I vow I will do it each day
May God shed his grace
On this stricken place
And please keep the virus away
Oh Don, I knew you’d come through with the goods – thanks so much ❤️
Always amazing Nagi! I so look forward to your posts & recipes – thanks for all you put into them. I am making this tonight.
Your Aussie in the U.S. fan
Let’s make it together. I have all the ingredients and will use fresh corn, and thinking of fresh basil at the end.
I added basil the other night, it was lovely! Only reason I didn’t publish it as the base recipe is because I thought it was great as it was, just that the basil adds an extra something to this – I will pop it in as a tip 🙂 N x
I made this following the recipe to the letter. I added my fresh basil at the end. It was just wonderful. Other food websites should follow your your layout; it far exceeds any I have come across.
I’m in lockdown since March 17, ‘cos I’m older – experiencing yet another wave – when/how will this end?
Reading this recipe, I can tell I’ll love it – zucchini in any format.
Everyone stay safe.
God bless
I hope you try it and love it Christine – stay safe 🙂 N X
As always, thanks for the Dozer pictures although it’s hard to look at a fireplace when it’s 28 degrees C here in Calgary, Canada. I’ll appreciate that heat the other 9 months of the year here!
I’m jealous Heather – I want some heat!!! N x
I love your emails; you and Dozer are daily bright spots. I’m in the Chicago area, hoping we can contain our Covid numbers. I hope numbers can flatten for the Victorians as well as the entire planet. On a different note, this recipe looks yummy and can’t wait to try it.
I hope you try it and love it Joan – Stay safe! N x
Nagi this looks delicious. Your email to people in Victoria and your offer to give cooking help is so heartfelt and kind. I’m a long way away in the U.K. and we have our own second wave headaches but your emails and recipes brighten the day and make cooking, which was becoming a chore, a bit more pleasurable. And we love Dozer
Jenny and vizsla Robin x
Good
I just grated a large zucchini on Friday and used 1/2 of it to make Lemon Zucchini Loaf and was wondering if I could use the rest of the zucchini that I froze in this recipe?
Can I use a thinned down white sauce if I don’t have cream?
So sorry to learn of the lockdown, again. I’m in northeast USA and fear we will be the same soon. I love your recipes, it really helps during these pandemic times.
Love this – recipes are always
I made this for dinner! I neglected to read the bit about using pasta water and used a splash of stock but it came together really well. I’m loving the zucchini recipes! Us Victorians have to think strategically about food at the moment. This hit all the right spots after a sad day. Thank you Nagi, this is wonderful.
Hi Nagi I’m in Gippsland. I hope we all come out of this stronger and more appreciative of the small things in life. Love your channel and love Dozer. It’s a great way to finish my day watching your quick straight forward cooking.