Linguine with Zucchini is a simple side dish made with fresh zucchini, linguine, garlic, Italian seasonings, butter and mascarpone that is topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
There are a handful of side dishes that I make often. Rice, roasted potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, a variety of vegetables and of course, pasta. The Linguine with Zucchini is a great go-to side that is really simple to make and comes together quickly for any night of the week. I especially love this dish to pair with a well seasoned fish or a medium-rare steak so I can have a complete meal on the table for my family in 15 minutes that is wholesome and flavorful.
Try this Pan Seared Salmon recipe adding a Cajun seasoning to pair for dinner this week!
Linguine with Zucchini
Linguine with Zucchini has a light, fresh taste with a bit of Italian seasoning and garlic. The mascarpone mixed into the pasta adds just enough creaminess and it is loaded with tender, slightly sweet zucchini to enjoy in every bite. Parmesan cheese is added on top for its nutty flavor that pulls this side dish together.
Tips & Tricks
Linguine with Zucchini is far from complicated. The one instruction you may want to skip while cooking is adding in the reserved pasta water but don’t. The reserved pasta water thickens and mixes in with the mascarpone to create a slightly creamy dish. Without the reserved pasta water, your pasta may end up tasting a bit dry.
Another tip is about cooking the zucchini. I cook my zucchini for about 3 minutes to let it get just slightly tender but still keep firm. If you cook the zucchini too long, it will get too soft and could taste a bit mushy after mixing it into the pasta which may not taste great.
Linguine with Zucchini
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Linguine with Zucchini is a simple side dish made with fresh zucchini, linguine, garlic, Italian seasonings, butter and mascarpone that is topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 3 small zucchinis or 2 large
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons mascarpone
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Wash and slice the zucchini. Cut the zucchini slices in halves. If your zucchini is large, you may want to quarter the slices so they are bite sized.
- Mince the garlic. (I used the pre-minced garlic today so I could skip this step)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lightly salt the water and cook the linguine according to box instructions. Before the timer for pasta is up, take 1/2 cup of the water out and put to the side for later use. Strain the pasta once done cooking. Turn off burner.
- Place the butter in the hot pot that was just used to cook the pasta to let it melt. Add the Italian seasoning, mascarpone and cooked pasta back in.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat up a non-stick pan on stovetop on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Add the minced garlic and toss to fully mix. Cook for 3 minutes or until the zucchini is at your desired tenderness.
- Add the cooked zucchini to pasta along with the reserved pasta water. Stir well.
- Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: pasta, zucchini, linguine
So delicious and wholesome, and I love the tip to use reserved cooking water!
Healthy pasta recipe! I love this! It’s good to go meatless sometimes.
★★★★★
Perfect recipe for meatless Monday and my pecastarian lifestyle plus I love using my garden grown zucchini.
★★★★★
I love pasta with zucchini! Literally a staple in my diet and your version sounds amazing