Lemon Zucchini Pasta (Print Version)

Light and vibrant spiralized zucchini with zesty lemon butter sauce, Parmesan, and fresh herbs. Ready in just 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Vegetables

01 - 10 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce

06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasonings

09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add spiralized zucchini to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently, until just tender but still crisp.
04 - Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with lemon zest, lemon juice, and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss gently to combine.
05 - Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Add more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
06 - Serve immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer even in the middle of March, bright and clean without feeling like diet food
  • You can have it on the table in the time it takes to boil pasta, no fancy techniques required
  • The lemon butter sauce clings to every strand and ribbon, creating little pockets of flavor in each forkful
  • It uses up those giant zucchinis that somehow multiply in the crisper drawer overnight
02 -
  • Reserve pasta water before you drain, I've forgotten more times than I'd like to admit and had to restart the sauce because plain water doesn't have the starch that makes everything come together
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking zucchini or it'll steam instead of sauté, giving you watery noodles instead of tender ribbons with a little golden edge
  • Add the lemon juice off the heat or right at the end so the acidity doesn't cook out and leave you with a flat tasting dish
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like the sea, that's where most of the seasoning for the pasta itself comes from and it makes a bigger difference than you'd think
  • Use a vegetable peeler to make wider zucchini ribbons if you don't have a spiralizer, they cook just as well and look elegant twisted around the pasta
  • Toss everything in the skillet instead of a bowl so the pasta picks up any browned bits from the pan, adding an extra layer of flavor you can't get any other way
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