Quick Lemon Garlic Zucchini Pasta
I am glad you are here. This bright and light zucchini pasta recipe is perfect for a quick, easy, and healthy weeknight dinner when you need something effortless.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (spaghetti or linguine recommended)
- 3 medium zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced or spiralized
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant; do not let the garlic brown.
- Add the sliced or spiralized zucchini to the skillet. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until the zucchini is tender-crisp. You want it cooked but still holding its shape.
- Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet with the zucchini.
- Pour in the fresh lemon juice and about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together well.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until a light sauce forms, adding more pasta water one tablespoon at a time if the sauce seems too dry.
- Stir in the fresh parsley. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- For a low carb zucchini pasta option, substitute traditional pasta with zucchini noodles (zoodles) and only use the zucchini slices for texture, not the bulk of the dish.
- If you want to add protein, toss in 1 cup of cooked, shredded chicken during step 5 for a chicken zucchini pasta variation.
- To achieve a creamy zucchini pasta sauce, ensure you use the starchy pasta water; it helps emulsify the sauce beautifully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 65
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 18
- Cholesterol: 12