Creamy Zucchini Pasta

The flavor of this Creamy Zucchini Pasta is delicious and simple to make. Using coconut milk as a base, the sweetness paired with tomatoes and zucchini creates a wonderful flavor combination.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 355kcal

Author Tania Sheff

Ingredients

8 oz. pasta (such as penne, shells, bow tie pasta)
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. zucchini, sliced thinly into half circles (or summer squash)
12 oz. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ tsp. sea salt or to taste
¼ tsp. pepper or to taste
⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes or to taste
½ cup full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup chopped parsley

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and start cooking the pasta according to the package instructions. When cooked, drain and set aside.
In the meantime, in a large, non-stick skillet, cook the zucchini in olive oil on medium heat, until slightly browned and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes).
Now add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften nicely (about 5-8 minutes).
At this point add coconut milk and parsley. Let simmer for 1 minute.
Finally, add the pasta and stir well. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Helpful tips

Make certain to add salt to your water. Many people will want to skip this step but don't! The added salt is what keeps the pasta from sticking together when it's boiling so this is important to do.
Don't peel the zucchini. All you need to do is wash the zucchini really well for this recipe. I never peel it because the outer peeling is what holds it together and keeps it from becoming mushy.
Drain the cooked pasta really well. Take a bit of extra time to ensure that you get rid of all the water. If you don't, you'll have a soggy dish.

Recipe variations

Add in more fresh vegetables. If you want to add in different veggies, do so. I think that adding in onions would be a great addition to this dish.
Change up the type of pasta. Penne pasta is great but you can easily use this with macaroni pasta, spagehtti pasta, or other options that you want to use.
Crank up the heat. If you love heat, add in the heat! Crushed red pepper is a great addition and can really enhance the hot flavoring.

Nutrition