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Zucchini pasta

Across Italy

Zucchini pasta

Zucchini pasta

Wrung-out zucchini cooks with shallot for about 20 minutes, then joins spaghetti, pecorino, lemon, basil, and mint.

30 min · Difficulty ●○○○○ · 1videos

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Dishes in this family

Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.

Orecchiette con le cime di rapaA Puglian home dish where orecchiette are tossed with a soffritto of anchovy and garlic and blanched cime di rapa (a bitter green similar to rapini). Styles diverge on whether the pasta is handmade or dried, whether breadcrumbs stand in for cheese to add crunch, and whether tomato paste is added for sweetness.Read this dish →Pasta primaveraPenne is paired with zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, tomatoes, and peas, then lightly bound with pecorino, lemon, and basil.Read this dish →Pasta with broccoliBroccoli is parboiled, most of it breaks down in garlic oil into a cream, and reserved florets return intact around fresh troccoli.Read this dish →Asparagus PastaFusilli with softened sliced stalks as the cream and tips added late for texture.Read this dish →Artichoke PastaMeatless fusilli with sliced and puréed artichokes, mint and black pepper.Read this dish →Pumpkin PastaFarfalle with diced pumpkin, pancetta and a portion blended with ricotta.Read this dish →Sweet Corn SpaghettiSpaghetti with most of the sweet corn blended into a cream and the remaining kernels kept for sweetness and texture.Read this dish →

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Cook this pasta on video

Watch the creators’ original videos for the method and finish.

Tomomi Oguraイタリアンシェフが教える「ズッキーニとミントのスパゲッティー」【イタリアンプロ養成講座 vol.122】Watch on YouTube ↗

Meet the dish

A vegetable pasta built from grated zucchini cooked down into sauce

Grated zucchini is squeezed dry and cooked with shallot for 15–20 minutes into a jammy green sauce. Pasta water and cheese attach it to long strands before lemon juice, zest, basil, and mint supply a fresh finish.

Pasta shapes to use

  • Spaghetti or bucatini, evenly coated by fine shreds of zucchini

Key ingredients

  • Zucchini
  • Spaghetti
  • Shallot
  • Pecorino
  • Lemon
  • Basil and mint

Follow the cooking scenes

  1. Zucchini pasta: Grate and wring the zucchini.

    Step 1: Grate and wring the zucchini

    Coarsely grate zucchini, wrap it in a clean towel or strong paper towels, and squeeze firmly to remove liquid. Slice the shallot, chop garlic, and prepare lemon zest and juice separately.

  2. Zucchini pasta: Cook down for 15–20 minutes.

    Step 2: Cook down for 15–20 minutes

    Warm shallot and chili in oil, add the dry zucchini, and cook over medium heat for 15–20 minutes. Stir occasionally until dark green and jammy, then add the garlic.

  3. Zucchini pasta: Emulsify before adding lemon.

    Step 3: Emulsify before adding lemon

    Move al dente spaghetti directly to the skillet and toss with pasta water and pecorino for 2–3 minutes. Lower the heat, add lemon juice and zest, and finish with basil and mint.

What to watch for

  • Squeezing the zucchini thoroughly is essential. Excess water steams the vegetable and prevents a concentrated sauce within the short cooking time.
  • Add lemon after the cheese has emulsified and avoid high heat. Early acid makes smooth melting harder and dulls the citrus aroma.

What sets it apart

Unlike Nerano's fried rounds, this sauce uses grated, wrung zucchini cooked down slowly and finished with lemon and fresh herbs.