With the help of the large holes on a box grater, zucchini transforms into a pile of soft shreds. Cook it down with olive oil, onion, and garlic and it becomes a creamy, caramelized mush that’s great to spread on toast (like in the recipe this one was inspired by, Jennie Cook’s Zucchini Butter), stir into scrambled eggs, or turn into pasta sauce with the assistance of cream and lemon juice. You’ll be amazed by how many zucchini cook down into this one dish—a very good thing when you’re staring down a pile of this prolific summer star.
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What you’ll need
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Large Bowl
$18 At Amazon
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Box Grater
$12 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 Servings
2
1
4
3
¼
2
12
1
½
½
½
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place a clean kitchen towel in a large bowl (or on a large cutting board). Trim 2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6), then grate on the large holes of a box grater directly into towel. Peel 1 large shallot and grate on the large holes of grater into towel. Peel 4 large garlic cloves and grate on the small holes of grater into towel.
Step 3
Gather ends of towel together, then squeeze over bowl (or the sink) with all your might to extract water from the zucchini. Squeeze until it’s hard to get out any more liquid. You should have extracted about ⅔ cup zucchini liquid, just FYI; discard.
Step 4
Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or very large skillet over medium-high. Add ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini mixture (unwrap the balled-up towel over the pot for easiest transfer) and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir to coat. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini mixture is jammy, thick, and starting to stick to bottom of pot, 15–20 minutes.
Step 5
When the zucchini has been cooking 5–10 minutes, add 12 oz. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta to pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Scoop out 2 cups pasta cooking liquid and set aside.
Step 6
Meanwhile, juice 1 lemon into a small bowl. Grate ½ oz. Parmesan on the small holes of grater (you should have about ¼ cup; you can also use ¼ cup pre-grated Parmesan). Very coarsely tear or chop ½ cup (lightly packed) basil or mint leaves.
Step 7
Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with zucchini—it’s okay if some water clings to it. Reduce heat to medium-low, add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup heavy cream, and stir to combine. Add cheese, pour another ½ cup pasta cooking liquid over top, and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs or a wooden spoon and add more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until a creamy sauce that coats pasta forms, 2–3 minutes.
Step 8
Remove pasta from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper and add more lemon juice (you may want to add an additional 1 Tbsp.). Stir in most of the herbs.
Step 9
Serve pasta topped with more grated Parmesan and remaining herbs.
Leave a Review
Reviews (206)
Back to TopDelicious and balanced. This has become my go-to comfort food.
Lia
Denver
2/25/2024
I have made this many times and everyone loves it. I slice and fry some zucchini and service it in the pasta also.
Anonymous
Chicago, IL
9/18/2023
A truly excellent dish I’ll be making again and again. Bonus that it’s a good use for those enormous late summer zucchini! We made as instructed with a combo of basil and mint.
Frances T
Canada
8/13/2023
Spectacularly delicious! I made as is- almost- used gf pasta, subbed a red onion for shallot. Came together beautifully- easy clean up too. I’m wondering if this technique would work with other vegetables. Definitely will make again.
LC
Boulder, CO
8/10/2023
Totally delicious. I made it exactly as stated and used mint for the herb.
Anonymous
Los Angeles
8/9/2023
Really good- even my zucchini-hating hubby liked it
Very good
DC
8/9/2023
Awesome Recipe! I made it with only 2 big Zucchini and dried basil because that's all I had, but I followed the directions taste tested and added more lemon juice & seasoning at the end and it was delicious. I also threw some fresh cherry tomatoes on top as a garnish.
Shane V
Boise ID
8/7/2023
A perfect light and summery dish. Followed the recipe as written and had no issues. This is a relatively quick and easy meal with simple and satisfying results, perfect to whip up for a weeknight meal.
Mackenzie B
Providence, RI
7/3/2023
Fantastic! Great way to use zucchini, which is not my favorite vegetable. I don't like the watery texture. This has a nice smooth almost chewy texture. A go to for sure and easier than the Stanley Tucci zucchini recipe that this resembles.
Nikki Colorado
Golden, CO
6/18/2023
Really yummy weeknight dinner with the last zucchini from the garden! Made with farfalle. Could use a whole pound of pasta instead of 12 oz. Highly recommend.
Mavis LC
Edgewood, KY
10/18/2022
I used fresh pasta that we made at home which took this dish to the next level. It was so good, creamy, and delicious. Highly recommend!
Christina
Los Angeles, CA
10/10/2022
I followed the recipe but only had 1 lb zucchini (2 med) and reduced the salt to 1/2 tsp. Delicious! Will make again. Such a light and lovely lemon flavor, I would serve to company. I did not add cream and did use basil.
Joan
Suffied, CT
10/9/2022
Sooo good! Added mushrooms to the zucchini mix, used milk instead of heavy cream and about 1oz. Parm. Based on my experience and other reviews, this recipe has a solid foundation and many ways to riff on it and make it your own. A+
Steph
Mountain Iron, MN
9/11/2022
5 star with modifications. I grated the zucchini and salted for 30 minutes. Thank you another reviewer. Diced the onion and garlic. And cooked them then added the grated zucchini. Cooked for about 15 minutes. It was sticking and browning. Deglazed with white wine! It cooked off. Added the pasta, butter and Parmesan cheese. Used Thai basil and green basil. Delicious
Bikingbaker
Torrington, CT
9/2/2022
I try not to be one of those people who make a completely different variation and then comment on it, but in this case I can't help it: if you remove the chiles, the onion, the lemon, and the cream, and you make sure you get browned bits while cooking down the zucchini, you end up with a pretty close approximation of the one from the Tucci TV show that everyone is losing their minds over without all the bother of deep frying. In my case I like a bit of chiles and the lemon, so that stays in. But there is no need for the cream if you cook this down properly and let the vegetables provide the creamy texure. And of course, add a pat of butter at the end.
Blork
Montreal
8/30/2022