One-Pot Zucchini-Basil Pasta Recipe (2024)

Interesting to have a ‘one pot wonder ‘ recipe that’s ‘Italian’... but oh my who in their right mind would aim to have the pasta al dente -& pretend to be satisfied with a tender zucchini that’s been BOILED for nearly a quarter of an hour!!!The zucchini ( sliced as in recipe picture - no ‘cubes’ silliness please) should only be thrown in cooking water for the last 5 mins at the most - for me 3 mins perfect right at the end - I want my zucchini as toothsome as my pasta .. not a mushy mess.

Not a big deal, but when pasta is sold in 16 ounce packages, why have a recipe for 12 ounces?

Delish! Sautéed a shallot and 3 cloves of garlic with lemon zest and red pep flakes before adding the broth to the pot. Upped the broth to 4 cups and used the whole box of pasta and 8oz creme fraiche. Made copious amounts of gremolata. Ended by adding parm and lemon juice, served with a side of escarole with a lemony dressing.

A trick I learned years ago is to brown the pasta in a Tbsp of olive oil before you add the stock. Adds another layer of flavor.

Loved this dish and elevated it with inspiration from other reviewers:- before adding broth, sautéed shallot, 2 cloves garlic, and shaved fennel until caramelized along with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and red chile flakes - added full container of veg broth (4 cups)- then added one box of pasta and cooked as directed with 4 oz cream cheese (I didn’t double the cream cheese) - for the gremolata, I added sun dried tomato for umami and some lemon juice- added chopped baked salmon for protein

Based on other commenters and reviews, I made this with some tweaks and it turned out delicious! I would definitely make again- Cut the zucchini into longer thin slices instead - Sautéed the garlic and zucchini for 3-4 minutes before setting aside in bowl- Upped the broth to 4 cups (and used a 16oz box of pasta) - Added red pepper in with the basil - Add the zucchini/garlic back into the pot with about 3 minutes left- Added lemon zest to the gremolata

This was better than I expected. I added a sprinkling of crushed red pepper and liked it. I topped it with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan. Next time I might add some grated lemon rind. There will definitely be a next time.

I made this recipe tonight. Truth be told, I probably added 2 more ounces of Marscapone and I also doubled the gremalota toppings amount. My husband LOVED this dish and I feel it was quite simple to make. The toasted almonds really add a lovely richness and crunchiness to the finished meal. This recipe is a keeper!

I’m planning to try this but I’m always nervous about ‘meanwhile’ directions when included in a ‘stir frequently’ recipe. Think I’ll make my gremolata ahead.

I think the gremolata would benefit from the addition of some fresh lemon zest.

It has potential. Needs umami.

I didn’t have zucchini but had cauliflower which I roasted with olive oil and some Aleppo pepper. I added the cauliflower to the when the sauce and pasta were done. I used lower fat cream cheese which worked fine. It requires watching and stirring and testing the pasta.. I had to add an additional 3/4 cup of water to keep the sauce from getting too thick. I like the concept and will make it again with zucchini.

Could you use pine nuts? You would probably need less though so they don’t overwhelm the dish.

Pretty great for something that takes no time to cook and doesn’t make a whole lot of dishes! Adding this to the week night rotation. Do season generously!

This was pretty good. I ended up using less pasta (11 oz) - and would likely go down to 10 oz next time. I grated Parmesan on top as suggested. I needed my deep 12in pan for something else - so I used a 10in saucepan with good results. Perhaps because of the pan difference, it took a bit longer than 20 minutes.

That this not only works but yields a pasta so criminally tender and creamy has actually changed my perspective on cooking altogether. You see a lot of these sorts of recipes of convenience and the result is generally a fast food time for a fast food result. This approach is arguably better than traditional ways of making the same dish as the pasta is enriched with, in my case, homemade chicken stock and marscapone rather than the dull weight of salt water alone. It only happens to be convenient

Made this recipe with no subs. 2nd time I doubled the veggies with added onion and bell peppers, doubled the garlic and basil, and added a bit more water. Made more servings, fewer calories, just as tasty. I'll experiment some more. Nice easy recipe. Will make it more often when my basil plants get big.

For sure add in more salt than you think!

I swapped zucchini for butternut squash. I baked half a butternut until soft, topping generously with spices and olive oil. I used berbere, thinking it might balance out the sweetness of the squash, which it did oh so beautifully. 2 shallots, 3 cloves of garlic, lemon zest, and chili in the pot with the olive oil. Next I browned my penne, following one of your suggestions, and then added warm stock and marscapone. I shredded the squash with a fork, mixing it in, and it melted into the sauce.

I made this without reading the comments. Very bland pasta dish. Would not make again. If I did make again, I would definitely sautee some shallots and garlic first, and a lot more than 1 clove.

Another person mentioned the dish missing umami. We added 1/4 of a teaspoon of anchovy paste for umami. I also roasted the zucchini and added lemon zest while cooking and topped with lemon squeeze after serving.

If you follow this recipe exactly everything will be mush. My pasta is al dente around 8 minutes. Like the other comment mentioned, you’ll want to add on the zucchini at around the 5 min mark to give it 3 minutes to cook. If your pasta is too watery (as mine was) add a cornstarch slurry (1tbsp cornstarch : 2tbsp water) to thicken it up and it will make it a nice sauce that clings to the pasta.

Delicious! I used a cast iron pan a little smaller than 12” and I found it hard to get all the pasta submerged at first. Next time I’ll do it in a big Dutch oven. I subbed chicken stock because I’m allergic to mushrooms and it was creamy and delicious. Will definitely make again.

11/7/2316 oz whole pasta box plus 2 14-oz cans worked fine, 13 min was too long in the pot, will try 11 minutes. The parsley basil almond mixture on top is essential.

I was very skeptical but oh, so pleasantly surprised. Made the recipe exactly as described but had an extra zucchini and used the whole package of pasta. Yes, I may add some lemon zest, Parmesan, red pepper flakes next time round but there is no need to. Perfect one pan dish for college kids and anyone else who does not want to wash up lots of pans.

My wife and I made this last night and loved it. This is quick to make and very flavorful. Next time I may try to put some lemon zest in the gremolata .

Used pistachios instead of almonds. Didn't have Parsley. Really benefited from a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of crushed Aleppo peppers.

Please add metric weights to your recipes!

I echo everyone's notes! Elevates a good dish even further.* Sautee a shallot, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes* Then added some italian sausage and let brown* Poured in the whole box of stock (I used chicken stock which was just on hand)* Whole box of pasta* Sliced the zucchini in half moons* Added more lemon zest to the gremolata* Finished with lemon juice

Delicious! Recommend adding a little bit of lemon juice on top before serving. Perfect for the fall!