This pasta with zucchini and tomatoes is nothing short of amazingness, a 20 minute healthy summer dinner with any short pasta cooked al dente, zucchini, grape or cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. It keeps your kitchen cool and uses an abundance of produce in season (I always seem to have more than I need on hand). Bursting baby tomatoes create a delicious sauce base combined with fresh garlic and basil. I couldn’t stop eating this pasta!
I got the idea for pasta with zucchini and tomatoes from my zucchini bake. I kept pasta amount low just enough to make the dish filling. I swear this dish is so good, I could eat it all week long! You can also add chicken. If you are a fan of zucchini, check out my collection of 30 healthy zucchini recipes. And if you are into pasta (who isn’t?!), you will enjoy cooking quick penne with broccoli, whole wheat spaghetti recipe with chicken or this healthy pasta with pesto during hot summer months.
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How to Cook Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
I will share with you my multitasking method of cooking 20 minute dinners. I start by first chopping all veggies, then boiling water and cooking vegetables at same time. This way, by the time pasta is ready, zucchini and tomatoes are ready as well, and I add al dente pasta directly from the pot to the skillet without draining. I find once pasta is drained, it starts drying out and sticking together.
Whole wheat, brown rice or any other gluten free pasta doesn’t hold its shape as well as white semolina pasta, so watch it closely and do not overcook. Chewy al dente pasta is half of the success to a tasty pasta with zucchini and tomatoes.
All zucchini come in different sizes. Just chop it in universal bite size pieces. Cooking zucchini fast on medium-high heat keeps them firm.
Cherry or grape tomatoes are the best for this dish because they hold their shape better than full-grown tomatoes without making zucchini tomato pasta mushy. Cutting them in halves ensures the juices’ release making a base for the sauce.
I like my garlic coarsely chopped/minced vs. grated for this dish.
Basil or fresh parsley, whatever you have got more than you can handle of. July-August for me are basil months when it grows like crazy in m garden and I don’t like it frozen, only fresh.
Once sauce base with vegetables is ready, I add pasta directly from the pot to the skillet.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, no perorated boxed stuff.
And then I season it all at once with salt, pepper, herbs and Parmesan cheese. Somehow, in this dish only olive oil seems suitable to me; probably because it’s Mediterranean dish and extra virgin olive oil with deep sweeter flavour fits right in.
Enjoy!
Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes is a quick healthy dinner with any short pasta cooked al dente, zucchini, grape or cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 large servings
Ingredients
- 7 oz short whole wheat pasta like penne, fusilli or farfalle
- 2 lbs zucchini, chopped in bite size pieces
- 1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup parsley or 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta as per package instructions undercooking by 2-3 minutes or until pasta is al dente, cooked but firm.
- While pasta is cooking, preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Return skillet to the stove and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat, add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring a few times.
- Turn off heat and add cooked pasta and zucchini, remaining 1 tbsp of oil, salt, pepper, cheese and parsley or basil; stir and serve. Adjust any seasonings to taste and enjoy this 20 minute amazingness!
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I made this today for lunches for the next three days. I didn’t follow exactly because of what I had on hand and added spice to please my husband’s palate. I added a bit of chopped broccoli, bell pepper and onion and red pepper flakes. Never thought to Cook zucchini and then set aside. That made all the difference because it didn’t get soggy. I would make again.
★★★★★
Glad you made it your own and that’s how cooking should be, especially with dinners. You can eat zucchini raw, so they need only a few minutes of cooking on stovetop ever.
This is SOOOOO Good! I made about half of the recipe to go as a side with marinated grilled chicken thighs, but could have easily eaten it as a meal in itself. I followed the recipe exactly (using basil) except for seasoning with salt and pepper during each step. So easy,quick and extremely delicious. Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Easy, delicious, and quick!
★★★★★
Added some chicken. Great flavours. Thank you!
★★★★★
Wow! I rarely review recipes, but this was really greater than the sum of its parts. I only had Roma tomatoes on hand, but everything was fresh from the farmers’ market and the flavors really came together. I think cooking the zucchini separately made a big difference. Thank you!
You are welcome. Not eating soggy zucchini is always “a plus”.:)
Made this last night with produce bought at my local farmer’s market. It is delicious, fast and so easy to make. A perfect summer recipe when so much fresh zucchini abounds.
Good! It’s hard to pass by all that produce in season. I lose it too haha. Glad you liked it!!!