I’m back at it with the best, simplest zucchini pasta recipe. You folks seem to love the creamy zucchini pasta recipe we shared a few years ago, and this zucchini pasta recipe is similar, but is both more versatile and more basic.

Made with olive oil, garlic, grated zucchini, basil, lemon and Parmesan, it’s so simple, quick and delicious, my kids gobble it up. With zucchini going wild in the garden, the time for this healthy, easy pasta is now! If you need even more zucchini inspiration, all the TMP zucchini recipes are rounded up here.

Ingredients
See the full recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Pasta: I love to make this with long, twirly pastas like spaghetti, linguine and bucatini.
- Zucchini : One big zucchini from the garden works well, or a few small ones.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my favorite, but regular olive oil would work fine.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves, no subs!
- Lemon: I like to use organic lemons when I’m using the zest.
- Basil: This recipe calls for a LOT of basil, because it’s abundant in the summer time and because I love it. If you’re less obsessed with basil, feel free to reduce the amount.
- Cheese: Freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan both work really well. Don’t use pre-grated.


How To Make Simple Zucchini Pasta + Tips
See the full recipe at the bottom of this post for more detail.
- Cook pasta. Keep it very al dente, because you’ll simmer it briefly in the zucchini sauce at the end. Also be sure to save some of that salty pasta water.
- Grate the zucchini. This can be done with your box grater, or I like to use the grating attachment on my food processor.
- Squeeze the zucchini! Get all the moisture out of the grated zucchini by mounding it into a tea towel, nut bag or cheesecloth and wringing out the moisture. Zucchini is watery by nature, so this is a key step.
- Sauté the zucchini.
- Finish the zucchini sauce with butter, lemon zest and cheese. Add the pasta and serve immediately.


Optional Variations
- Switch up the pasta: I usually use a long, thin pasta like spaghetti or bucatini, but any pasta shape works. Even penne or rigatoni could work fine.
- Leave out the cheese and butter to make this recipe vegan! Use a little more olive oil in place of the butter. The dish will be lighter, but still delicious. You may need to add a little more salt.
- If you don’t have basil, fresh parsley would work in its place.
- If you’re serving this to kids, you may want to leave the black pepper out and just add it to the grown up’s plates after serving.


Serving Suggestions
I serve zucchini pasta as a quick, light dinner on summer nights all on its own. But for a bigger or hungrier crowd, you may want to serve it with other summery favorites that celebrate the garden. A few of my favorite dishes to serve with it are:

More Delicious Ways to Use Up Zucchini
From Garden Bounty to Delicious Dinner
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