Lemony Zucchini Pasta
This dish is creamy, like an Alfredo, but fresher and brighter. The basil, lemon, and zucchini bring a lightness to the cream, creating the perfect balance. Make sure you let the zucchini, shallot, and garlic cook until jammy, as this is the base of the sauce. Also, don’t hold back on the black pepper as it pairs beautifully with the lemon and zucchini!
Yields: 5 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
5 large zucchini
1 large shallot
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt
Black pepper
12 ounces of any long shaped pasta (spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, fettuccine)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
⅓ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese
½ cup of packed basil leaves, chopped
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, grate your zucchini, shallot, and garlic using the largest holes of a grater onto a kitchen towel over a large bowl.
Once all grated, squeeze the towel over a sink, trying to get every last drop of the water out of the shredded vegetables.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute. Add in the zucchini mixture, salt, and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the zucchini is jammy and sticking to the bottom of the pan. (While the zucchini is cooking, start cooking your pasta, and once cooked, reserve 2 cups of pasta water).
Transfer your cooked and drained pasta into the pan with the zucchini and reduce heat to medium low. Add in ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and the heavy cream, stir to combine. Add in the parmesan cheese and another ½ cup of the pasta water. Stir vigorously until the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta.
Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice, and toss in the basil. Stir until the basil is coated, and taste for salt and pepper.
Serve with more parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
Adapted from BA’s Creamy Lemon Zucchini Pasta
