Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Garlic and Lemon
This summery Pasta with Zucchini requires a few basic ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make. Zucchini, bell pepper, garlic, lemon, parmesan, red pepper, and parsley (if you have it!) are all you will need!
This is the type of meal that is really very basic but feels classy and special. These are my favorite kinds of meals! I’ve been making this pasta dish since I was 18 and I still love it.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky
Ingredients
Pasta With Zucchini
- zucchini
- bell pepper
- garlic
- fresh parsley (optional)
- salt and black pepper
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- grated parmesan cheese
- pinch crushed red pepper
- whole wheat thin spaghetti
The nice thing about this dish is that you can vary the ingredients a little depending on what you have. The key ingredients are zucchini, garlic, and lemon. Even with just these, you can make a delicious and humble meal, if it’s seasoned properly.
Seasoning tips
If you want to learn to cook, learning how to salt food properly is one of the most important things you can learn. I learned from Tamar Adler and Samin Nosrat and the principles they teach have stuck with me through every dish that I make. And it’s something that is best learned through practice and feel. I learn best by doing. I think most people do. So a quick tip for learning how to season food well? Practice!
Add a small amount of salt and taste, keep adding small amounts and tasting until whatever you are making tastes amazing. The recipe instructions for this dish don’t include measurements but if you are like me, you don’t want to measure your grated zucchini or your bell pepper after you’ve chopped it. You want to just hear things like “one large zucchini” and “one orange bell pepper”. But how big is a “large” zucchini and can we really trust that my orange bell pepper is the exact same size as yours?
Since the obvious answer is no, we can then conclude that if you use the exact same amount of salt and pepper every time, the dish might taste a little different each time. And that’s fine, it will still be good enough. But try tasting and adjusting the seasonings for practice! Overtime you will get the feel for how much that pinch of salt will add to your dish and you can put the measuring spoons away.
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More Tasty Pasta Recipes
Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Garlic and Lemon
Easy pasta dish made with summer veggies and simple seasonings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course, Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini (grated)
- 1 orange bell pepper (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (about 1/2 tbsp)
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- pinch crushed red pepper
- 16 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, sprinkle lightly with salt and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Before adding the zucchini, press with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, add the 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Push the zucchini aside and add a small drizzle of oil in the middle of the pan. Add the garlic to the oil and cook for about 1 minute, then mix the garlic into the rest of the mixture and cook until zucchini is soft. Add the lemon juice and pinch of red pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve over pasta. Serve with extra parmesan and lemon wedges.
- Enjoy!
