When zucchini is in its prime, it deserves more than getting buried in sauce. This zucchini pasta gives the squash a caramelized crust first, then builds the cream sauce around the flavors in the pan. I add lemon (in two different ways), fresh basil, and Parmesan. It’s the recipe I reach for every summer, without fail.

A bowl of zucchini pasta topped with creamy sauce, fresh basil leaves, and shaved parmesan cheese, with a fork and spoon. Nearby are lemon wedges, a block of cheese, and a basil sprig.
Creamy lemon zucchini pasta with fresh basil and lemon zest tastes like summer!

Zucchini season has a way of sneaking up on you — one minute you buy one or two, the next you’ve got a pile on the counter. If that’s you, take a look at my full archive of zucchini recipes for more inspiration.

How I level up zucchini pasta

  • Caramelized zucchini: Cooking the zucchini in a single layer until it’s browned concentrates its flavor without turning mushy.
  • Browning the lemon for deeper flavor: Searing the lemon halves in the pan softens the acidity and adds a subtle, almost jammy citrus flavor to the sauce.
  • One-pan cream sauce: The sauce builds right in the skillet with the vegetables, so everything feels cohesive — not like pasta tossed with separate ingredients.

Karen’s ingredient notes

Ingredients for making zucchini pasta arranged on a surface, including dry spaghetti, zucchini, grated cheese, heavy cream in a cup, sliced shallots, fresh lemons and lemon zest and fresh basil.
  • Zucchini: Look for zucchini under 2 inches in diameter — once they get larger, the seed cavity expands, the flesh gets waterlogged, and their clean, sweet flavor turns bland and slightly bitter. Cut them into thick matchsticks rather than rounds or half-moons (a method I use for the zucchini in this roasted vegetable pasta). The flat sides give you more contact with the pan, which is what actually produces a browned crust instead of steamed, soft zucchini.
  • Lemon: Two lemons, doing two different jobs. One gets zested and juiced the conventional way — that’s your brightness and aroma. The other goes into the pan cut-side down with the shallots, where the direct heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the fruit and burns off the harsh, almost metallic edge that raw citrus can leave in a cream sauce. What comes out of that browned lemon is rounder and more complex tasting.
  • Cream: It has enough fat to actually reduce with substance — 5 minutes at a steady boil thickens it enough to coat the pasta. Half-and-half won’t behave the same way; the lower fat content means it’ll be thin no matter how long you cook it. If you want a dairy-free version, the recipe card has a broth-based swap, but the sauce will be noticeably lighter in body and the lemon flavor will be sharper without the cream to round it out.

How this zucchini pasta comes together

  • Zucchini on a prep board with a chef's knife, showing the ends trimmed off.
    1. To prep the zucchini, slice off the stem and bottom ends.
  • Zucchini on a prep board with a chef's knife, showing how to slice into matchstick shapes.
    2. Slice into 2-inch long sections, then cut those in half.
  • Zucchini on a prep board with a chef's knife, showing how to slice into matchstick shapes.
    3. Slice each half into 1/2-inch thick sticks.
  • Sliced shallots and a two lemon halves in a pan with olive oil.
    5. Put the shallots and a halved lemon flesh-side down in a large heated skillet.
  • Soft, sauteed shallots and a whole halved lemon in a frying pan.
    6. Sizzle thinly sliced shallots in olive oil until softened and slightly browned.
  • Zucchini matchsticks in a skillet with halved lemon.
    7. Add the zucchini, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
  • Cooked zucchini matchsticks in a skillet with halved lemons.
    8. Resist the urge to stir. Leave the zucchini undisturbed for a full 5 minutes until it’s browned on one side.
  • Heavy cream, lemons and cooked zucchini in a skillet, with a rasp grater resting on the left side of the pan.
    9. Pour in the cream and stir in grated fresh garlic.
  • Zucchini in a creamy sauce in a skillet, with a browned half lemon and a pair of tongs.
    10. Boil until the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should look almost like a loose béchamel. Squeeze the juice from the browned lemons into the sauce, then remove them.
  • Lemon cream sauce in a frying pan with zucchini slices, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and basil on top.
    11. Add lemon zest, cheese and basil.
  • Mounds of cooked spaghetti pasta on top of a creamy zucchini sauce in a skillet.
    12. Put cooked, drained pasta in the pan with the sauce.
  • Cooked spaghetti in a skillet, sauced with cream, zucchini, lemon and basil, with a pair of tongs to the side of the pan.
    13. Toss everything together with tongs until the sauce coats the pasta.
  • Cooked spaghetti in a skillet, sauced with cream, zucchini, lemon and basil, with a pair of tongs to the side of the pan.
    14. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and serve.
Cooked spaghetti in a skillet, sauced with cream, zucchini, lemon and basil, with a pair of tongs to the side of the pan.
5 from 9 ratings

Creamy Zucchini Pasta with Lemon and Basil

Karen Tedesco
This zucchini pasta gives the squash a caramelized crust first, then builds the cream sauce around the flavors in the pan. I add lemon (in two different ways), fresh basil, and Parmesan. It's the recipe I reach for every summer, without fail.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 thinly sliced shallot
  • 1 lemon, sliced in half
  • 2 medium (390 g) zucchini sliced into 2-inch sticks, ½-inch thick
  • 8 ounces (225 g) spaghetti or linguine, or other any dried pasta shape you enjoy
  • 1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 cloves grated or finely chopped garlic
  • ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • zest of one lemon
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously (I use about 1 tablespoon kosher salt per quart of water).
  2. Put ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in large (preferably 12-inch) skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add 1 thinly sliced shallot and arrange the lemon halves cut-side down in the pan. Cook the shallots until they're soft and beginning to brown on the edges, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add 2 medium zucchini sliced into 2-inch sticks, ½-inch thick to the pan and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir the zucchini into one layer. Cook 5 minutes without disturbing, or until the zucchini is nicely browned on one side.
  4. Pour 1 cup heavy cream into the pan and stir in 2 cloves grated or finely chopped garlic and ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper Bring the cream to a boil and cook 5 minutes, until it looks reduced and thickened.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.
  6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Using tongs, squeeze the juice from the cooked lemons into the sauce, then discard them. Add the zest of one lemon, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and drained pasta to the pan. Combine the pasta with tongs or two wooden spoons until it melds with the sauce.
  7. Sprinkle ¼ cup fresh basil leaves over the pasta and serve, with additional grated cheese on top.

Notes

  • To make the sauce without cream, replace it with 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth diluted with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
  • Choose zucchini that are smaller than 2-inches in diameter — larger sized squash usually contain more interior seeds and can taste bitter.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 406kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 7g Fat: 39g Sodium: 245mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 5g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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