Easy Creamy Zucchini Pasta | Vegan One Pot Recipe
This creamy zucchini pasta is a flavorful one-pot vegan recipe. It comes together in about half an hour and is easily made gluten-free. A perfect meal for end-of-summer zucchini abundance!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Pasta Recipe
My friends, if you’re dealing with end-of-summer zucchini abundance, I’ve got you! This creamy zucchini pasta recipe, inspired by the New York Times One-Pot Zucchini Basil Pasta, uses a full pound of zucchini and tastes restaurant-quality delicious. It comes together in about half an hour, is vegan, and can easily be made gluten-free. Ta-da!
Here’s why you’ll love it!
One-pan / minimal clean up
Uses lots of zucchini
Creamy without dairy
Ready in about 30 minutes
Very very delicious!
🍳 The Best Pan for One-Pot Pasta
For this recipe, you’ll want a large, deep sauté pan or skillet with high sides and a lid. The wide cooking surface gives the zucchini plenty of room to sauté and develop flavor, while the deeper sides provide enough space for the pasta and cooking liquid to simmer together.
I recommend a pan that is 12 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Or use a 4–6-quart multi-purpose pan as shown in the “how to make this recipe” photos.
🥒 Ingredients & Substitutions
You’ll find the complete ingredient list with measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are the key ingredients and some substitutions too.
🥒 Zucchini – You’ll need a pound of it. This is about 2 medium zucchinis. You can substitute yellow squash (yellow crookneck squash or yellow straightneck squash) if you like.
🥕 Vegetable broth- Use the good stuff; store-bought or homemade.
🐚 Pasta shells- Medium pasta shells are ideal. Their curved shape and hollow center are perfect for catching the creamy sauce and holding onto bits of zucchini and basil. Other short, textured pasta shapes will work, such as rotini or orecchiette.
Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free.
🌿 Fresh basil – for bright aromatic flavor that balances the richness of the cream sauce.
🌱 Fresh parsley – plays well with the basil as a topping when combined with chopped roasted salted almonds.
🤎 Roasted salted almonds – adds a savory salty crunch.
🍦 Vegan sour cream – Our secret ingredient for an instantly creamy sauce. Just be sure to fold it in after you’ve turned off the heat, or it may curdle. Vegan cream cheese is a solid substitute.
🥣 How to Make Creamy Zucchini Pasta (with photos)
When you’re ready to make this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post. You’ll find the complete ingredient list with measurements there.
1. Pour the olive oil into a large deep sauté pan (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Tumble in the zucchini and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until the zucchini softens and begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Deglaze the pan with the vegetable broth, scraping up any brown bits sticking to the bottom. Cover the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the pasta, making sure it’s just submerged in the liquid. Add more vegetable broth, ¼ cup at a time, if needed to cover the pasta. Cover and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. The pasta will want to stick to the bottom of the pan as it absorbs the liquid, so stir occasionally and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle (not rapid) boil.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil, the chopped parsley, and the chopped almonds. Toss. Set aside for serving.
5. Once the pasta is finished cooking, turn off the heat. Fold in the vegan sour cream and the other 2 tablespoons of fresh basil. Taste; then add salt and pepper to your liking.
6. Divide between shallow bowls and sprinkle with the herbs and almond topping. Serve straight away. Enjoy!
❄️ Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits, so you may need to add a splash of veggie broth when reheating.
To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, using the tip above.
Store the herbs and almond topping separately from the pasta in its own airtight container so the almonds hold their crunch.
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
👩🏻🍳 Helpful Tips
Cut your zucchini into small ½ inch cubes. The smaller pieces will cook through quickly and have plenty of surface area to brown in the pan for deeper flavor.
Make sure the pasta is fully submerged in the liquid. Gently press any exposed pasta pieces down into the liquid so they all cook evenly, adding small amounts of vegetable broth, if needed. Cook the pasta with the lid on to avoid over-reducing.
Turn off the heat before folding in the vegan sour cream. Vegan sour cream will “break” or curdle if allowed to boil. Sliding the pan off the heat or turning the burner off prevents this tragedy.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen zucchini?
I highly recommend using fresh zucchini for this recipe. Frozen zucchini releases more water and won’t brown as well as fresh zucchini, leaving you with less flavor.
What if my pasta isn’t cooked but the liquid has been absorbed?
If pasta is sticking up out of the liquid and the exposed edges are not cooking, add more vegetable broth, ¼ cup at a time, until the pasta is barely covered. Finish cooking with the lid on.
What if my pasta is cooked but there is too much liquid?
Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce until the sauce looks thick, not watery. Be sure to stir as you go to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Can I make creamy zucchini pasta ahead of time?
This one-pot pasta is best served immediately, as the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits.
I hope you love this easy little recipe as much as I do. It’s inspired me to plant extra zucchini next year. And when the season is upon us, you’ll know exactly what to make!
🪴 Sending a big hug from my little garden,
X,o,
Leave a Comment & Rating
If you like this Creamy Zucchini Pasta recipe, be sure to leave a comment down below as well as a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This helps others find my website, and I absolutely love hearing about your creations!
And be sure to follow along and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest. Thank you SO much for your support!
Easy Creamy Zucchini Pasta | Vegan One Pot Recipe
This creamy zucchini pasta is a flavorful one-pot vegan recipe. It comes together in about half an hour and is easily made gluten-free. A perfect meal for end-of-summer zucchini abundance!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil into a large deep sauté pan (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Tumble in the zucchini and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until the zucchini softens and begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Deglaze the pan with the vegetable broth, scraping up any brown bits sticking to the bottom. Cover the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the pasta, making sure it’s just submerged in the liquid. Add more vegetable broth, ¼ cup at a time, if needed to cover the pasta. Cover and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. The pasta will want to stick to the bottom of the pan as it absorbs the liquid, so stir occasionally and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle (not rapid) boil.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil, the chopped parsley, and the chopped almonds. Toss. Set aside for serving.
- Once the pasta is finished cooking, turn off the heat. Fold in the vegan sour cream and the other 2 tablespoons of fresh basil. Taste; then add salt and pepper to your liking.
- Divide between shallow bowls and sprinkle with the herbs and almond topping. Serve straight away. Enjoy!
Notes
❄️ Storage Instructions
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits, so you may need to add a splash of veggie broth when reheating.
- To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, using the tip above.
- Store the herbs and almond topping separately from the pasta in its own airtight container so the almonds hold their crunch.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
👩🏻🍳 Helpful Tips
Cut your zucchini into small ½ inch cubes. The smaller pieces will cook through quickly and have plenty of surface area to brown in the pan for deeper flavor.
Make sure the pasta is fully submerged in the liquid. Gently press any exposed pasta pieces down into the liquid so they all cook evenly, adding small amounts of vegetable broth, if needed. Cook the pasta with the lid on to avoid over-reducing.
Turn off the heat before folding in the vegan sour cream. Vegan sour cream will “break” or curdle if allowed to boil. Sliding the pan off the heat or turning the burner off prevents this tragedy.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen zucchini?
I highly recommend using fresh zucchini for this recipe. Frozen zucchini releases more water and won’t brown as well as fresh zucchini, leaving you with less flavor.
What if my pasta isn’t cooked but the liquid has been absorbed?
If pasta is sticking up out of the liquid and the exposed edges are not cooking, add more vegetable broth, ¼ cup at a time, until the pasta is barely covered. Finish cooking with the lid on.
What if my pasta is cooked but there is too much liquid?
Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce until the sauce looks thick, not watery. Be sure to stir as you go to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Can I make creamy zucchini pasta ahead of time?
This one-pot pasta is best served immediately, as the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits.
For step-by-step instructions with photos, scroll up to blog post!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
541Fat (grams)
20 gSat. Fat (grams)
4 gCarbs (grams)
80 gFiber (grams)
5 gNet carbs
75 gSugar (grams)
9 gProtein (grams)
15 gSodium (milligrams)
1271 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mgNutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.
