Lemon Zucchini Pasta (Printable)

Light and vibrant spiralized zucchini with zesty lemon butter sauce, fresh parsley, and Parmesan. Quick, easy, and vegetarian.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta & Vegetables

01 - 10 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce

06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasonings

09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add spiralized zucchini to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently, until just tender yet still crisp.
04 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet with lemon zest, lemon juice, and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss gently to combine.
05 - Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Add additional pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
06 - Serve immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, and tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The zucchini stays slightly crisp, giving you texture that makes every bite interesting instead of mushy.
  • Leftovers actually reheat beautifully if you add a splash of water and warm gently in a pan.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining, I forgot once and had to use plain water and the sauce never came together right.
  • Don't cook the zucchini too long or it releases water and makes everything soupy instead of fresh and bright.
  • Add the lemon juice off the heat if you can, high heat can make it taste bitter instead of zingy.
03 -
  • Use tongs instead of a spoon to toss the pasta, it coats everything way more evenly and looks fancier somehow.
  • Grate some extra lemon zest over each bowl right before serving, that hit of fresh citrus oil makes people think you're a better cook than you are.
  • If your zucchini are huge and seedy, scoop out the soft center with a spoon before spiralizing so you don't end up with watery noodles.
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