Zucchini Pesto Pasta

A serving of zucchini pesto spaghetti on a white plate, topped with parmesan cheese.

5 from 1 vote

Zucchini pesto pasta is a simple pasta dish that's filled with fresh summer flavor! Homemade pesto is made with zucchini, basil, garlic, and parmesan cheese, then tossed with fresh cooked pasta for an easy weeknight meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time11

Total Time21

Servings: servings

Calories: 712kcal

Ingredients

16 ounces spaghetti, uncooked
2 cups shredded zucchini, liquid squeezed out before measuring
1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
2 garlic cloves
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons pine nuts, *
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup olive oil

Optional garnish

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large stock pot of salted, boiling water, cook spaghetti to al dente according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and return to stock pot.
Make sure excess liquid is squeezed out of your shredded zucchini before measuring. Place shredded zucchini into a kitchen towel or multiple layers of paper towels, then gently squeeze over the kitchen sink.
To the bowl of a large food processor, add shredded zucchini, basil, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times, until ingredients form a fairly uniform, chunky paste.
Turn on the food processor and slowly stream in olive oil. Process until desired consistency and texture is achieved, adding as much olive oil as needed. You may need slightly less than what's listed, depending on how much liquid is left in your zucchini.
Pour pesto over cooked pasta, along with about half of the reserved pasta water. Toss until evenly coated. Add more pasta water as desired to achieve desired sauce consistency. Do a taste test and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Optionally, garnish with parmesan cheese before serving.

Recommended Equipment

Notes

* In case of allergies, pine nuts can be substituted with sunflower seeds, almonds, or walnuts.
Recipe serves 4 as a main course, or 6-8 as a side dish.
Leftover pesto pasta will oxidize over time, but will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Or, zucchini pesto (without the pasta) can be frozen for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container. Cooked pasta does not freeze well.
16 ounces of spaghetti can be substituted with the same weight of your favorite pasta shape.

Nutrition Estimate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian