Zucchini pasta sauce is a healthy creamy delicious pasta sauce. This is an easy pasta sauce made with roasted zucchini and other flavorful seasoning.
Zucchini pasta sauce is a delightful and wholesome alternative to traditional pasta sauces. This creamy sauce is light and healthy. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable known for its mild flavor and nutritional profile. This sauce is vegan and gluten-free.
The diced zucchinis are sautรฉed and blended with a medley of aromatic herbs, garlic, and other seasonings to create a rich flavor profile. These are simmered in coconut cream for a smooth and creaminess in texture. This creamy sauce pairs beautifully with any of the pasta types. You can sprinkle some parmesan cheese for that cheesy flavor.
Ingredients For Zucchini Pasta Sauce
Zucchini - you can also add yellow squash
Fresh herbs - Basil leaves + Parsley leaves - substitute dry herbs
Onion - finely chopped
Garlic cloves - fresh garlic minced
Tomato paste - can skip this. But it enhances the flavor
Seasoning - chili flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
Note - Italian seasoning is optional since we are using fresh herbs in the sauce. However, if you like the flavor, you can try adding it but adjust it as per taste preference.
Coconut milk - this will add a creamy smooth texture to the sauce
Extra virgin olive oil - for cooking and garnish
Nutritional Yeast - for vegans. Optional but gives a nice cheesy flavor
Vegetable broth - or pasta water reserved during cooking the pasta
Pasta - any type of pasta will be great for the dish
Garnish - red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, or parmesan or vegan cheese
How to make zucchini pasta sauce?
Cook the pasta al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water to add to the sauce. The starchy pasta water helps in adding flavor plus helps in coating the sauce with pasta.
Heat oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and saute for 20 - 30 seconds. Add finely chopped onions to it and saute till translucent (for 1 - 1.30 minutes) on low flame.
Then add diced zucchini and saute for 2 minutes on medium to high flame. Add finely chopped basil and parsley herbs, seasoning, and tomato paste to the pan. Toss everything to mix well and saute for 2 minutes on low flame.
Pour in coconut milk into the pan and simmer for a minute or so. Then blend them into a puree. Add some extra fresh herbs and nutritional yeast. If required, add ยผ cup broth (or water) and blend to a paste. Simmer again for 1 - 2 minutes on low flame. Zucchini pasta sauce is ready. You can also store the sauce for further use.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes till all pasta is coated well with the sauce. Drizzle some extra olive oil and parmesan while serving the pasta.
Zucchini sauce with roasted zucchini
Dice the zucchini and onion into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle some olive oil and add the seasoning to them. Add minced garlic or substitute with garlic powder. Toss to mix everything. Preheat the air fryer at 400 F for 3 minutes. Transfer the seasoned zucchini and onion to the air fryer and roast for 10 minutes at 400 F. You can also roast them in the oven at 400 F for 20 -25 minutes.
In the meantime heat oil in a pan/ pot. add coconut milk, and tomato paste and stir to mix them. Add fresh herbs finely chopped. Now transfer the roasted zucchini to the pot and simmer for 2 minutes. Now blend them to a puree adding some nutritional yeast. The creamy zucchini pasta sauce is ready now.
Storage and reuse
You can store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. So you can make them ahead and refrigerate. When required, boil some pasta and add the sauce to the pasta for a quick dinner or lunch. Add some fresh garnish and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes.
What to serve with zucchini pasta?
Serve some sauteed zucchini, roasted zucchini, or roasted broccoli with this pasta. You can also some some medley roasted veggies for a healthy side.
Potato dishes like spicy potatoes or air fryer potatoes will be a great addition to the side. the crispiness of potatoes will balance the soft creamy texture of pasta.
Try air fryer mushrooms, cauliflower, and broccoli, air fryer kale, or Italian green beans with the pasta.
Similar Recipes
Zucchini Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked pasta reserve pasta water while cooking
For Sauce
- 1 lb zucchini 2 medium size zucchini
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 6 - 8 garlic colves minced
- 2 tbsp parsley leaves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp basil leaves finely chopped (+ 6 to 8 more leaves)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning optional
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or as taste
- 1 + ยฝ tsp salt or as taste (for boiling pasta + for sauce)
- ยฝ tsp black pepper powder
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- ยผ cup coconut milk
- ยผ cup broth or pasta cooking water
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
For Serving/ Garnish
- fresh basil leaves
- chili flakes
- extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
- parmesan for non-vegans
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Boil water in a large pot, adding salt to it.
- Add pasta to boiling water and simmer till it's cooked al dente.
- Reserve some pasta water to add in the sauce further process.
- Remove pasta from rest of the water.
Prepare the sauce
- Heat oil in a pot/ pan.
- Add minced garlic and onion. Saute for 1 - 2 minutes or till translucent.
- Then add diced zucchini and saute on high heat for 2 minutes.
- Next add the fresh herbs, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste to the pan.
- Toss to mix everything well. Simmer for 2 - 3 minutes on medium heat.
- Then add coconut milk to the pot and bring it to a boil.
- Simmer for 2 minutes stirring continuously.
- Now blend them all into a puree, adding ยผ cup pasta water, nutritional yeast, and some more fresh basil leaves into it.
- Simmer for another 1 - 2 minutes. Sauce is ready.
- Turn off heat to store or add the pasta to the sauce to serve immediately
Add Pasta and Serve
- Add pasta to the sauce and simmer for another 1 minutes till all pasta is coated well.
- Serve in a plate. Drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some red pepper flakes and some parmesan cheese (for non vegans).
Alternate Method - Air Fryer/ oven roasted zucchini
- Dice the zucchini and onion into bite-sized pieces.
- Drizzle some olive oil and add the seasoning to them. Add minced garlic or substitute with garlic powder. Toss to mix everything.
- Preheat the air fryer at 400 F for 3 minutes.
- Transfer the seasoned zucchini and onion to the air fryer and roast for 10 minutes at 400 F. You can also roast them in the oven at 400 F for 20 -25 minutes.
- In the meantime heat oil in a pan/ pot. add coconut milk, and tomato paste and stir to mix them. Add fresh herbs finely chopped.
- Now transfer the roasted zucchini to the pot and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Now blend them to a puree adding some nutritional yeast.
- The creamy zucchini pasta sauce is ready now.
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