Pasta alle Zucchine (Spaghetti with Zucchini)

This classic Italian zucchini pasta (spaghetti alle zucchine) is perfect for busy weeknight dinners or when your fridge is nearly empty. If you've got spaghetti (or tagliatelle, fettuccine, penne) and zucchini, you're more than halfway there. Pan-seared zucchini, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a little grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese are all you need to make a super delicious spaghetti dinner tonight.

Want to save even more time? Meal-prep the zucchini by cooking it ahead of time, so all you have to do is boil noodles, reheat the zucchini, and combine everything when you're ready for dinner. If you've never eaten pasta with zucchini, I think you'll be really surprised by just how incredible it actually is.

What is Pasta Alle Zucchine (Spaghetti with zucchini)?

We love this pasta. It's basically zucchini sautéed in a smashed-garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil that makes up the base of the sauce. The first time I ate it was here in Italy, Anna (Luca's mamma) had made it for lunch for "primi" (the first course).

It was crazy simple and entirely way more delicious than I could've ever imagined it would be. I shouldn't have been surprised (all of her cooking is incredibly delicious), but I was really amazed that this pasta was so good.

And like any Italian cook worth their salt, Anna has a few variations of this dish and cooks each of them according to what's in season and what currently happens to be in her pantry and fridge on any given day.

Sometimes she shallow fries the zucchini or simply sautés it.  Occasionally, she adds a few sweet grape tomatoes or a few shrimp, and each iteration is as good as the last. You can't go wrong making this dish.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Pasta alle Zucchine, or Pasta with Zucchini, is simple to make, and there are several authentic ways to prepare it that slightly vary in Italy from region to region and home to home.

Depending on what part of Italy you happen to be in, sometimes the zucchini is shallow-fried instead of sautéed, and different cheeses are highlighted in the final dish (think spaghetti alla Nerano). 

The one thing all of these variations have in common is that they all require basic ingredients you probably already have on hand, and they're one of the easiest pasta dishes to make.

If you love pasta and zucchini, you might want to try Italian Spaghetti With Zucchini & Fresh Tomatoes or this Paccheri Pasta With Shrimp and Zucchini Sugo.

Ingredients in Pasta alle Zucchine (Spaghetti with Zucchini)

• 1 pound 5 ounces (or about 6 medium zucchini) (575g)
• 5 ½ ounces whole-wheat or regular spaghetti (160g)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium garlic clove, smashed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Grana Padano cheese (or Parmigiano or Parmesan) (5-10g)
• salt and pepper to taste (pepper optional)

How to Make Pasta alle Zucchine

1. Prepare the zucchini and flavor the cooking oil. In a preheated skillet on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and smashed garlic clove and cook for 3-4 minutes to infuse the oil.  
2. Cook the zucchini. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, add the sliced zucchini to the skillet with the garlic. Season with salt and black pepper and cook for a few minutes on one side until golden brown. Flip them over to brown on the other side. 
3. Prepare the pasta cooking water. While the zucchini is cooking, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to "al dente" according to package instructions.
4. Build the sauce. Just before the pasta is finished cooking, smash approximately ⅓ of the zucchini with a fork to break it up, leaving the remaining zucchini rounds whole. Turn the heat back to medium-high and add about ¼ cup of starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the zucchini. Stir to incorporate and emulsify the starches with the olive oil and zucchini mixture. If needed, add more pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to make a looser sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. Turn off the heat.
5. Assemble the pasta. Strain the pasta and add it directly to the zucchini.  Give it a few tosses to coat the noodles, and with the heat turned off, add grated cheese and stir everything together so the cheese and the sauce become one and are fully incorporated. Enjoy!

Pasta alle Zucchine Sep-by-Step Recipe Photos

Ways to Customize Spaghetti with Zucchini (Spaghetti alle Zucchine)

This pasta is delicious on its own, but if you have some things in your fridge you need to use up, here are a few add-ins that work really well in this pasta.

• add ¼ pound pork sausage
• add a slice or two of crispy bacon or pancetta
• add a grated carrot (for color and a little extra nutrition)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream + ¼ cup grated cheese (once it's removed from the heat) for a creamy zucchini pasta sauce
• add a handful of halved grape tomatoes to the skillet after the zucchini has been cooked, toss to combine, and cook for 5-7 minutes until tomatoes are tender

Looking for More Delicious Pasta Dishes to Make?

Here are a few of our favorite pasta dishes that you might also enjoy.

Let's get started!

Made this recipe? I'd love for you to rate it ⭐️ and tell us how it went in the comments below!