This creamy dreamy zucchini pasta has a gorgeously silky pasta sauce that's packed with basil and lemon flavor, but has no dairy or nuts! The perfect easy mid- week dinner to make the most of summer zucchini season!
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!
The silken tofu sauce is similar to my Creamy Tofu Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, so if you're looking for another creamy pasta you should definitely check that out. Or if you're after more tomato based pasta to eat with your zucchini, try my Summer Courgette and Tomato Pasta.
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🥒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. Tasty and
- Fresh Basil Leaves- you'll need a good handful or two of basil in the sauce and lots of fresh basil to serve.
- 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.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with the key elements for this Creamy Basil Lemon and Zucchini Pasta for the perfect recipe every time.
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.
2. In a large skillet or pan, gently sautee the garlic and zucchini ribbons until softened.
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.
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.
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.
🌶️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.
- Gluten-Free - choose a gluten free pasta, or double the shaved zucchini and use as zucchini noodles.
🔪Equipment
You will need a food processor or blender to mix up the basil lemon sauce, plus a vegetable peeler to create ribbons of pasta. If you don't have a vegetable peeler you can use the large holes of a box grater to create shreds of zucchini.
🫙Storage
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.
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!
❓FAQ
Choose yellow squash or finely sliced red peppers in place of the zucchini.
More Zucchini Recipes
Got excess zucchini? Try these tasty recipes!
It goes with...
Why not serve this zucchini pasta with a tangy tasty salad:
📖 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 teaspoon 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 teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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 more olives, or some extra balsamic vineger to taste.
- 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 extra olives to sprinkle on top.1 tablespoon fresh basil, 1 tablespoon 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.