Light and Creamy Zucchini Pasta With Lemon and Basil
Greek yogurt, lemon, basil, and zucchini make magic together in this fresh and tangy summer pasta dish.
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- 1 Broiler or very hot oven
- 1 Rolling Pin or other heavy implement (for smashing the zucchini)
- 1 baking sheet
- Measuring cups, spoons, and jug if you're being precise
- 1 Colander
- 1 mixing bowl optional, for tossing the zucchini with the oil
- 1 knife and cutting board
- 1 Microplane grater for lemon zest and parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 small zucchini or one large
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 2 cups dried pasta shorter shapes work best
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon parmesan grated
- ⅓ cups Greek yogurt whole milk
- 1 lemon zest
- ½ cup basil leaves roughly torn
- 2 lemon wedges for serving
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon salt for the pasta water
Instructions
- Place 2L of water and 1 tablespoon of salt in a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- While the water is heating up, turn your broiler to 450F, and move one of the oven racks to the 2nd highest shelf.
- Cut off the ends of 2 small zucchini or one large zucchini (500g), smash the zucchini a bit with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan, and chop into rough fragments, approx ½ inch wide.
- Toss the zucchini fragments in 1 teaspoon of avocado oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl, and spread them out on an **unlined baking sheet** under the broiler to brown.
- When the water comes to a boil, add 200g (2 cups) of dried pasta. Stir, and allow to cook according to the package instructions. Best to set a timer for this. The zucchini should take around the same amount of time as the pasta, but be sure to keep your eye on it too.
- While the pasta and zucchini are cooking, finely chop 8 cloves of garlic, measure out 100 grams (⅓ cup) of Greek yogurt, and ¼ cup of basil leaves. Get your lemon and parmesan cheese ready too.
- When the zucchini is softened, blistered, and golden brown, turn off the broiler and remove it from the oven.
- When the pasta is cooked, pour 250 ml (1 cup) of the pasta water into a measuring jug, and drain out the remaining water using a colander.
- Turn the burner off, and place the Dutch oven or pot back onto the still-warm burner.
- Add 2 teaspoon of olive oil and 8 cloves of minced garlic into the Dutch oven, and stir for 30 seconds. If the garlic is browning/burning, add a splash of the pasta water to cool things off.
- Into the Dutch oven with the garlic and olive oil, add the broiled zucchini, the drained pasta, the Greek yogurt, the zest of one lemon, 2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, and 20 grams (½ cup) of fresh basil, tearing the leaves as you add them. Stir to combine using the pasta water to adjust the consistency as needed.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. (I find it doesn’t usually need it).
- Serve with lemon wedges, cracked black pepper, and more parmesan cheese as desired.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 18gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 4249mgPotassium: 946mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 882IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 197mgIron: 2mg
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