Creamy Basil Zucchini Pasta

5 from 1 vote

My Creamy Basil Zucchini Pasta is a simple, flavorful dinner that transforms fresh zucchini, basil, and parmesan into a silky, creamy sauce. Ready in about 30 minutes, it's an easy way to use up summer zucchini while serving a comforting pasta the whole family will love.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: 30 Minute Meal, Comfort Food, Dinner, Easy Recipes, Family Dinner, Healthy, Italian, Kid Friendly, The Cooking Mawma

Servings:

Ingredients

1 lb long pasta I used fusilli con buco, but any long pasta works. NOTE: Reserve 1 cup pasta water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large zucchini cubed
1 large shallot diced
4 garlic cloves minced
18 whole basil leaves more for serving
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup parmesan cheese more for serving
1 tsp salt more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper more for serving

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt to the water. Cook pasta until al dente (about 1 minute less than what the package instructs.) Drain noodles, reserving ~1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
In a large, deep pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and zucchini and sprinkle with a dash of salt. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in the heavy cream, basil leaves, salt, pepper, chicken broth and parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring until sauce thickens, for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the zucchini mixture (liquid included) and blend on high until mostly smooth.
Add the blended sauce back into the pan, then add the cooked noodles to the blended sauce until coated. If desired, add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water for a more liquid consistency sauce.
Top with more cheese, black pepper, basil and enjoy!

Nutrition