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A rich and buttery zucchini pasta sauce featuring sautéed zucchini, sweet onions, garlic, and Parmesan, brightened with lemon juice. This fresh and comforting sauce clings to long pasta noodles, perfect for a cozy summer dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 pounds (three medium) zucchini, cut
  • Olive oil (quantity as needed)
  • Butter (quantity as needed)
  • 1 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth (for vegetarian version)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (quantity as desired)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Pasta (recommended: linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti), enough for 4 servings

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until just tender (al dente).
  2. While the pasta cooks, chop the onion, mince the garlic, cut the zucchini, and grate the Parmesan.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil and butter.
  4. Sauté the chopped onion until soft and translucent.
  5. Add the zucchini, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook about 5 minutes until the zucchini is tender.
  6. Pour in chicken or vegetable broth and add remaining butter; simmer briefly to combine.
  7. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the sauce.
  8. When the pasta is nearly done, reserve about 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  9. Stir freshly grated Parmesan into the sauce and add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed.
  10. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce until evenly coated, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary.
  11. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Notes

To keep this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and ensure Parmesan cheese does not contain animal rennet or substitute with vegetarian hard cheese or nutritional yeast., For a smoother sauce, blend the cooked zucchini mixture after cooking, adding broth or pasta water to adjust consistency., Add cooked chicken or shrimp to increase protein and make the meal heartier., Serve with crusty bread, soft dinner rolls, or a crisp green salad for a complete meal., Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days and reheated gently with added broth or pasta water to maintain creaminess., Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in zucchini and sauce separation.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/simple-fresh-zucchini-pasta-sauce/