This creamy dreamy zucchini pasta with lemon basil sauce has a gorgeously silky pasta sauce that's packed with basil and lemon flavor, but has no dairy or nuts! The perfect easy high protein mid- week dinner to make the most of summer zucchini season! If you loved my Creamy Tofu Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, you're going to adore this!
QUICK LOOK: TL:DR
RECIPE NAME HERE
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 17 mins
- Servings: 2
- Calories: 540kc
- Key Ingredients: Zucchini, Basil, Lemon, Silken Tofu, Pasta
- Dietary Info: Vegan, Dairy Free
- Tasting Notes: Fresh and lemony with bursts of basil in a creamy sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe!
- Ready in under 20 mins!
- Perfect for Zucchini Season: Add even more zucchini to use them up!
- High Protein: from tofu and good quality pasta.
Jump To
- RECIPE NAME HERE
- Why you'll love this recipe!
- 🥒Key Ingredients
- 🌶️Substitutions & Variations
- 👩🍳How to make Creamy Zucchini Pasta
- What to eat with Creamy Zuccchini Pasta?
- Louise's Speedy Dinner Top tip!
- ❓Creamy Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta FAQ !
- What to eat with Zucchini pasta?
- 📖 Recipe
- 🌶️Substitutions & Variations
- 💬 Comments
This lovely creamy zucchini pasta recipe is perfect for summer, it comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta, plus the sauce itself simply requires a quick blitz in the blender. The lovely fresh flavors of the basil and zucchini really come together with the burst of lemon that runs through!
If you love the idea of a creamy pasta, but are craving tomatoes, my Creamy Tomato Pasta Puttanesca is quick and delicious. Or if you're after a simple more tomato based pasta t o eat with your zucchini, try my Summer Courgette and Tomato Pasta.
🥒Key Ingredients
Make sure to head to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list for this creamy lemon and basil pasta with zucchini.
- Pasta of choice: I like to use egg-free tagliatelle or fettucini for this recipe, however you can choose whichever shape you like.
- 2-3 zucchini-(aka courgettes) I like to use young, fresh zucchini in this recipe as they taste the best and shave easily into zucchini strips! You can also use yellow squash if you wish.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Just a dash to help the zucchini cook.
- Fresh garlic cloves: Sliced fresh cloves of garlic, as much as your heart desires!
For the creamy lemon basil sauce
- Silken Tofu - a packet of silken tofu is the key to this recipe's creamy sauce. You can get long-life tofu which is super handy to have in the cupboard for a quick cheesy, creamy sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast- think of this as a kind of vegan parmesan cheese. If you need more ideas to use it up, my vegan Cacio e Pepe Beans is a great place to start!
- Fresh Basil Leaves- you'll need a good handful or two of basil in the sauce and lots of fresh basil to serve. If you're feeling extra fancy you can swirl over some vegan basil pesto too!
- Lemon Juice- the juice of one fresh lemon.
- Salt to taste. You can also add freshly ground black pepper or some chili flakes.
Plus lots of fresh basil and lemon zest (zest the lemon before you juice it for the sauce) to serve.
See recipe card for quantities.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
Here are some ways you can mix up this recipe:
- Spicy - Add red pepper flakes or a generous dash of hot sauce to the creamy sauce.
- Extra Texture: toast some pine nuts or pumpkin seeds to sprinkle over the top of the pasta. In the photo I have some toasted pistachio nuts which are delicious on top!
- Gluten-Free - choose a gluten free pasta, or double the shaved zucchini and use as zucchini noodles.
- Higher Protein- choose your favourite high-protein pasta instead of regular pasta.
👩🍳How to make Creamy Zucchini Pasta
Follow along with the key elements for this Creamy Basil Lemon and Zucchini Pasta for the perfect recipe every time.
- Step 1: Use a peeler to shave ribbons of zucchini. Slice the garlic and put the pasta water on to boil. Salt the pasta water well and cook pasta according to directions. Get on with the rest of the recipe while the pasta cooks.
- Step 2: In a large skillet or pan, gently sautee the garlic and zucchini ribbons in a little olive oil and salt until softened.
- Step 3: Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and whizz up until creamy and smooth. Taste and add more basil/lemon or nutritional yeast as needed.
- Step 4: Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Mix the zucchini in with the pasta and sauce adding a little of the reserved pasta water as needed.
To serve: Mix in more fresh basil leaves as well as sprinkling over some lemon zest. You can also sprinkle over a little extra-virgin olive oil and chopped nuts such as pistachios.
Hint: boil the pasta in a large pot of water, then reserve a cup of pasta water to mix in with the zucchini and pasta. This helps it emulsify and the sauce stick to the pasta.
What to eat with Creamy Zuccchini Pasta?
I love to pair this pasta with a quick in-season salad, like this Green Bean and Tomato Pesto salad. And if you have more zucchini to use up, because everyone ends up with too many in the peak season, this Vegan Zucchini Slice is always a crowd pleaser, plus is great for food prep!
Louise's Speedy Dinner Top tip!
This easy zucchini recipe is great for a quick dinner. Keep the prep time to a minimum buy using garlic from a jar! (I won't tell anyone!)
❓Creamy Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta FAQ !
An easy to make creamy sauce is this silken tofu one, whizzed up with lemons and basil then poured over zucchini ribbons.
This recipe is best cooked just before serving. You can make the sauce ahead of time and just be ready to cook the pasta and zucchini ribbons at the last minute.
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can carefully reheat, or eat it room temperature or cold from the fridge. This recipe does not freeze well.
What to eat with Zucchini pasta?
A delicious salad is always a good plan to have alongside pasta.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Basil Sauce
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 200 g (9 oz) pasta (or more if you're hungry)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for the pasta water)
- 250 g (2 cups) zucchini (about 2-3 zucchini)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (just a dash really)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
For the Lemon Basil Sauce
- 350 g (1 ½ cups) silken tofu
- 1 clove garlic
- 60 ml (¼ cups) lemon juice (about juice 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 50 g (1 cups) fresh basil leaves (a good handful)
- salt and pepper to taste
to serve
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (the zest of the lemon you just juiced.)
Instructions
- Put the pasta water on to boil. Once it's boiled add the salt and the pasta and cook to packet instructions.200 g pasta, 1 tsp salt
- Thinly shave the zucchini with a vegetable peeler, slice the garlic.250 g zucchini, 3 cloves fresh garlic
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently sautee the garlic and zucchini.1 tsp olive oil
- In a blender or food processor, add all the ingredients for the basil lemon sauce.350 g silken tofu, 1 clove garlic, 60 ml lemon juice, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste, 50 g fresh basil leaves
- Blend the tofu, basil and lemon mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and add salt or a squeeze of lemon juice as needed.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta water.
- Mix the pasta with the sauce, adding a little of the pasta water to the pasta sauce and giving it all a good stir.
- Serve hot, garnished with basil leaves and and optional crushed pistachios on top.1 tbsp fresh basil, 1 tbsp lemon zest
Notes
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
- Spicy - Add red pepper flakes or a generous dash of hot sauce to the creamy sauce.
- Extra Texture: toast some pine nuts or pumpkin seeds to sprinkle over the top of the pasta.
- Gluten-Free - choose a gluten free pasta, or double the shaved zucchini and use as zucchini noodles.
Ellese says
My mom harvested 4 GIGANTIC zucchini and decided to go with the recipe since I am all about protein. I used 397g (1 block) firm tofu, 1 packet banza spaghetti, 1/2 packet regular spaghetti, and more salt than the recipe added. Also, pretty sure the olive oil amount isn’t listed but I did about 1 tbsp to wilt down the zucchini. Amazing recipe!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I'm so happy you liked the recipe! You're right, I need to add in the olive oil in the recipe card (oops) - but you only need a little as you say for the zucchini.