Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms, an easy weeknight vegetarian pasta dinner idea, ready in less than 30 minutes!
Why is it that Italian food is often given a bad rap? I have encountered individuals who have told me that they stay away from Italian food because it is too "fattening". Really?
I assume they are referring to oversauced pasta dishes covered with about an inch of melted cheese. You certainly know what I mean. We've all been to these type of Italian restaurants.
I'd like to demistify this myth. Italians definitely do not eat this way at home. At least I never did! Furthermore, we don't eat pasta with tomato sauce all the time.
Most of the time I prefer pasta loaded with lots of veggies that are simply sauted in olive oil with onions and/or garlic. No cream, no butter and no inch thick layer of cheese!
My favorites include pasta with broccoli; pasta with oven fried zucchini; Sicilian pasta with cauliflower or pasta alla Norma.
So that brings me to Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms. An incredibly simple pasta dish yet so flavorful! All it requires before serving is a sprinkling of extra Parmigiano cheese and you have the perfect meal.
When it comes to combining vegetables with pasta, unlike in other dishes, I prefer my vegetables quite soft. Almost fall apart soft so that they break down and become creamy and stick to the pasta. But you can certainly cook your vegetables less if you prefer.
Ingredient List for Mushroom Zucchini Pasta
- Zucchini: sliced in half lengthwise and then crosswise into half moon shapes.
- Mushrooms: sliced thin
- Onion: finely diced
- Not shown: grated Parmigiano for serving
Top Tip
I always recommend adding the cooked pasta to the pan with the vegetables along with a ladle or two of pasta water to help thicken the sauce and adhere to the pasta.
How to make Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
Step 1
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the diced onions along with a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired.
Add zucchini slices and salt, and stir. Lower heat, cover and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
Step 2
Uncover, increase to medium heat, add mushrooms and some salt. At this point, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente.
Cook the zucchini mushroom mixture for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their water. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Step 3
Drain the pasta and stir into the skillet with the vegetables. Add a ladle or two of pasta water as well as a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmigiano and/or Pecorino cheese to thicken the sauce. Add freshly ground pepper, if desired, and a light drizzle of olive oil.
Step 4
Serve hot with extra grated cheese at the table.
Recipe FAQs
Any type of pasta will do with this recipe. However, I prefer penne or rigatoni that enable the sauce to adhere to the pasta and 'catch' the vegetables.
You can add a finely minced clove of garlic after sautéing the onion and before adding the zucchini to your pan.
I enjoy my zucchini quite soft in this recipe, however feel free to reduce the cooking time if you prefer your zucchini with more bite to it.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
If you tried this Gelo di limone (Sicilian lemon pudding) Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how much you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
More quick and easy pasta recipes!
Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 grams pasta 1 lb pasta of your choice
- 1 large onion finely diced
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 450 grams zucchini (1 lb)
- 225 gram package of mushrooms (½ lb)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano cheese plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise and then crosswise into half moon shapes. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Dice the onion finely.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Sauté the diced onions and add red pepper flakes (if using) for 3 minutes.
- Add zucchini slices and salt, and stir. Lower heat, cover and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
- Uncover, increase to medium heat and add mushrooms and salt lightly. At this point, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Cook the zucchini mushroom mixture for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their water. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Drain the pasta and stir into the skillet with the vegetables. Add a ladle or two of pasta water as well as 2 of tablespoons of grated Parmigiano and/or Pecorino cheese to thicken the sauce. Add freshly ground pepper, if desired, and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Serve hot with extra grated cheese at the table.
Notes
- Any type of pasta will do with this recipe. However, I prefer penne or rigatoni that enables the sauce to adhere to the pasta and 'catch' the vegetables.
- I enjoy my zucchini quite soft in this recipe, however feel free to reduce the cooking time of the zucchini for a firmer texture.
- I always recommend adding the cooked pasta to the pan with the vegetables along with a ladle or two of pasta water to help thicken the sauce and adhere to the pasta.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size and ingredients used.
Nutrition
charles tuscano
Very easy to make with the recipe
It was very tasty and not real heavy.
Nadia
Thank you Charles, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Kerri
Not to sound mean, but this was much better than I thought it would be. Delicious! I would like to add some sausage in the future.
Nadia
Hi Kerri, no worries! It is indeed quite a simple recipe but sometimes simple is best in my opinion! And yes, I agree, it would definitely work with sausage as well. Enjoy!
Lina
Looks delicious and quite quick and simple to make. Great meal for a week night!
Nadia
It definitely is! Thanks for your comment Lina!