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.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Your favorite cooked pasta tossed in a bright and fresh zucchini pesto, a lighter take on classic pesto.
Easy to make: The pesto is blended together in a food processor in seconds. Just cook your favorite pasta, toss, and serve!
Serves: 4 or more people
Similar to: Zucchini Mushroom Pasta, Pesto Primavera
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need two cups of drained shredded zucchini for this recipe. This equals about one large zucchini or two small zucchini. Remember, squeeze out most of the liquid from your shredded zucchini before mixing your pesto. It can turn out watery otherwise.
- Basil - One cup of loosely packed fresh basil leaves are a must for pesto. It's the main ingredient and adds much of the flavor. Other flavorful fresh herbs like cilantro or mint could work if you'd like to make a different flavor of pesto.
- Flavor - Fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt, and pepper add flavor to your pesto. Pine nuts can be substituted with any nuts or seeds you have on hand (like sunflower seeds or walnuts).
- Lemon juice - Adds brightness and helps cut through the richness of the olive oil.
- Olive oil - A quality extra virgin olive oil is best for a pesto.
- Pasta - I used spaghetti, but feel free to use your favorite pasta shape. Fettuccine, farfalle, penne, and cavatappi are all great choices.
How to make pesto pasta
- Add pesto ingredients to a food processor and pulse until uniform.
- Cook pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Add pesto to drained pasta.
- Toss and add reserved pasta water until pasta looks creamy.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this recipe works with any homemade or store bought pesto.
Pesto pasta goes great with grilled chicken, baked salmon, and sauteed shrimp.
Leftover zucchini pesto pasta will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and reheats well in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat with a splash of water.
Cooked pasta does not freeze well, so I do not recommend freezing any assembled leftovers. Pesto freezes well and will keep for 3 to 4 months.
I like to use any nuts or seeds I have on hand for pesto. Sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pistachios make great substitutes.
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Pesto Pasta
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
- * Pine nut substitutes: Sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, walnuts.
- Servings: Recipe serves 4 as a main course, or 6-8 as a side dish.
- Storage: Leftover pesto pasta will oxidize over time, but will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. 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.
- Pasta variations: 16 ounces of spaghetti can be substituted with the same weight of your favorite pasta shape, like fettuccine, farfalle, or cavatappi.
was so good
Thanks Bob, glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!