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Pasta in zucchini sauce garnished with basil leaves and red pepper flakes.
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Vegan pasta in zucchini sauce

Quick, easy, and delicious, this vegan pasta in zucchini sauce can be prepared in just 35 minutes. The nutritious creamy zucchini pasta sauce of this dish is dairy-free and nut-free. It's a perfect recipe for a fuss-free weeknight dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Diet Vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 337kcal
Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

  • 1 Large cooking pot to cook pasta
  • 1 Large pan to cook zucchini
  • Stand blender
  • Knife and chopping board
  • 1 Large strainer to strain pasta
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • 400 grams uncooked pasta of choice
  • 2 medium zucchini roughly chopped, around 850 grams
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3-4 large garlic cloves finely chopped
  • ½ cup fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup any plant-based milk of choice
  • Water to cook pasta

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent.
  • Add minced garlic and saute for a few seconds.
  • Add chopped zucchini, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Cook on medium heat until the zucchini gets cooked. You may cover the pan to fasten this step. Turn off the heat and allow the zucchini to get slightly colder.
  • Transfer the sauteed zucchini to a blending jar. Add nutritional yeast, fresh basil, and milk. Blend to make a smooth sauce.
  • Boil pasta al dente following the package instructions. Strain and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Pour zucchini sauce on top and gently toss.

Video

Notes

  1. Feel free to use any pasta of choice to make this recipe.
  2. Allow the zucchini to get slightly colder before blending. Very hot ingredients may blow off the lid of the blending jar.
  3. While blending the zucchini sauce, don't add all the milk at once, start with ¼ cup of milk at a time and add more only if required.
  4. You can also grate zucchini to fasten the cooking process.
  5. Instead of basil, fresh oregano, parsley, or cilantro can also be used. You can mix different fresh herbs too.
  6. I have kept the sauce very simple and mildly seasoned it. You can add more seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, etc.
  7. For extra flavor, toast some pine nuts or sunflower seeds, blend them with other sauce ingredients, and make zucchini pesto pasta.
  8. For a more refreshing taste, add some lemon juice and lemon zest to the sauce.
  9. More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 319IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg