If you’re looking for a comforting yet light first course, creamy zucchini pasta is the perfect solution. Often people think that to get that velvety sauce that coats the pasta you need to add cream or spreadable cheeses, but today I’ll show you that you can achieve an amazing result with a much simpler and more natural method.
This recipe, which is perfect for vegans and vegetarians, focuses on a balance of Mediterranean flavors and a surprising texture while remaining a healthy, wholesome dish. A few carefully chosen ingredients and a small preparation trick will transform simple zucchini into a sauce that will win everyone over at the first bite.
Curious to find out how to get this creaminess without dairy? Let’s see all the steps together!
Other zucchini recipes:
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for creamy zucchini pasta without cream
- 1.32 lb zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini (≈21 oz))
- 6.3 oz pasta (I used mezze maniche, which I find most suitable)
- 3 cloves garlic (I recommend red garlic)
- 1 bunch parsley (fresh, chopped)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper (freshly ground)
- 2 packets saffron
Useful tools to make creamy zucchini pasta
- Bilancia pesa alimenti
- Coltello
- Grattugia
- Padella
- Cucchiaio di legno
- Mestolo
- Pentola
Preparation of creamy zucchini pasta without cream
Wash the zucchini and remove any inedible parts, grate them using the coarse side of a grater, salt them, stir and set aside.
In a frying pan pour 3 (or 4 maximum) tablespoons of oil, add the peeled garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant.
Once the garlic is golden, add the zucchini, sprinkle with pepper, add the chopped parsley and the saffron dissolved in a little water, stir and cook, stirring, over high heat for 5–6 minutes, then turn off the heat.
While the zucchini cook, boil the pasta and drain it al dente, reserving 1 ladle of the cooking water.
Put the drained pasta into the pan, add the reserved ladle of cooking water, toss over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, then serve and enjoy this creamy pasta!
Tips
For the pasta shape I recommend mezze maniche as I used because I find it the most suitable as it holds the sauce very well!
For a gourmet touch, add toasted sliced almonds just before serving.
