If you're looking for a fast and simple weeknight dinner you can throw together in just 20 minutes, look no further than my Zucchini Linguine with Lemon, Feta, & Mint. This 8-Ingredient summer pasta dish is bright, beautiful, and packed with healthy veggies, perfect for showcasing the best of summer — all without having to turn on the oven or brave the outdoors. 🙌
Whether you’re growing a garden or are part of a CSA, chances are your countertops are overflowing with zucchini (or at least some kind of summer squash) right now. And, while I have several tasty dishes to toss it into, this super simple summer pasta with zucchini is one of my favorite ways to highlight this spectacularly mild veggie.
Love zucchini as much as I do? Check out my easy recipes for zucchini bread oatmeal, easy hibachi, and fancy ratatouille next!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Linguine Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Summer Pasta With Zucchini, Lemon, Feta, & Mint
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Easy Dinner Recipes For Carb Lovers
- Zucchini LInguine with Lemon, Feta, & Mint
- 💬 Reviews
Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Linguine Recipe
No matter what kind of life you live — single or married, WFH or office warrior, kids or no kids — everyone needs a few healthy, speedy dinner recipes in their back pocket. This lovely lemony zucchini pasta was designed to make good use of end-of-summer veggies but is easy to make all year round.
As if that weren’t enough to love, this delightful summer squash pasta recipe is also:
- Made With Just 8 Ingredients - And that’s including pantry basics like olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Ready In Only 20 Minutes - Seriously, by the time you get a pot of pasta boiled to al dente perfection, you’ll be ready to serve this magnificent meal.
- Perfect For Your Bumper Crop - You’ll use over a pound in this zucchini pasta recipe!
- Light, Bright, & Satisfying - Unlike some pasta dishes that leave you feeling weighed down, this zucchini lemon pasta is as light as pasta can be!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this pasta with zucchini. Here’s what to grab:
- Fettuccine - Or feel free to swap in any long pasta shape you prefer.
- Olive Oil - No need to bust out the fancy stuff; just your normal cooking oil will do perfectly.
- Summer Squash - Any kind of thin-skinned summer squash like Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Crookneck, Pattypan, Cousa, or Zephyr will work interchangeably, so feel free to use whatever you’ve got on hand!
- Garlic - I tend to buy bags of peeled garlic for convenience, then keep them stored in the freezer so I don’t waste any. It’s a great hack if you hate peeling individual cloves like I do!
- Fresh Mint - It might sound strange, but lemon and mint are ideal pairs for summer squash. Feel free to swap in basil if you prefer!
- Feta - I suggest buying feta in brine and crumbling it yourself. It’s cheaper, tastes better, lasts longer, plus you get a freebie — the brine is amazing for marinating meat!
- Lemon Zest & Juice - For adding a splash of sunshine. In a pinch, you can use some bottled lemon juice, but fresh tastes loads better.
- Pasta Cooking Water - I’m only listing this here so you don’t forget to keep some! It’s what makes the “sauce” for this summer zucchini pasta perfectly silky.
- Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper - Because basic seasoning is always in season!
How To Make Summer Pasta With Zucchini, Lemon, Feta, & Mint
Making this pasta with summer squash is a snap. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Cook Fettucini. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Save 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining pasta.
Step 2: Cook Squash. Heat olive oil until shimmering. Add squash and sprinkle with salt to encourage sweating. Cook until desired doneness, preferably al dente with a bit of golden crust. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
Step 3: Mix. Add cooked noodles to sauté pan with about ½ C pasta water and toss to mix the zucchini with pasta. Add ¾ feta, ¾ mint, and lemon juice/zest. Continue to toss until mixed, adding more pasta water as needed to result in a glossy, slippery sauce.
Step 4: Serve. Plate the zucchini linguini, finishing with the remaining mint and feta for a little pop on the plate. Enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
As much as I love this lemony zucchini and yellow squash pasta as written, there’s plenty of room for you to experiment. Here are a few variations to consider:
- Gluten-Free - Use the GF pasta of your choice, or swap in Palmini or zoodles for even more veggie goodness!
- Vegan - Keep this lemon zucchini pasta perfectly plant-based by swapping in vegan feta.
- Grated - Not a fan of cooked zucchini’s texture? Not to worry! Using a box grater or food processor, grate it instead of slicing it into coins before cooking. They turn into a magical, almost buttery zucchini sauce that melds beautifully with the noodles.
- Spicy - Add some heat with ½ - 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
Expert Tips
This zucchini linguine is super simple and straightforward to make. That said, I’ve learned a few tips to make sure it turns out perfectly every single time:
- Salt your pasta water GENEROUSLY. In this case, it should taste like seawater before you plop your pasta in.
- Skip the colander. I like to push my zucchini cooking skillet and pasta cooking pot close together, then use tongs to drag the cooked noodles and some of the pasta water into the veggie pan.
- Don’t toss your pasta water. Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and save it. That starchy liquid turns the olive oil and garlic into a beautiful, glossy sauce. If you have leftover pasta, it’s also great to keep some of the pasta water in a separate container — adding it when you reheat your leftovers helps to revivify the sauce perfectly.
- Save your spent lemon rinds and mint stems to make a pitcher of deliciously free spa water to help keep you hydrated in style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! But in this zucchini linguine, we’re using BOTH zucchini and pasta for the best of both worlds. That said, feel free to swap in zoodles for even more veggie goodness.
Why, by making this summer pasta with zucchini, of course! It’s hands-down my favorite summer pasta dish.
Pop any leftovers into an airtight container and, if possible, reserve some of the pasta-cooking water in a separate container for reheating. To reheat, zap in the microwave or warm in a skillet, adding pasta water as needed to revive the sauce to its original silky glory.
More Easy Dinner Recipes For Carb Lovers
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Zucchini LInguine with Lemon, Feta, & Mint
Equipment
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fettuccine
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1.5 lb Summer Squash e.g. Zucchini, Crookneck, Pattypan, Cousa, Zephyr, etc.
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ C Fresh Mint chiffonade
- 4 oz Feta Crumbles
- ½ Lemon approx. ½ teaspoon zest and 1 Tablespoon juice
- ½-1 C Pasta Cooking Water
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Water should taste like the sea before adding pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Save 1 C pasta cooking water before draining pasta.
- While water is coming to a boil, prep your squash. Cut into roughly quarter-sized pieces.
- In a sautee pan, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add squash and sprinkle with salt to encourage sweating. Cook until desired doneness, preferably al dente with a bit of golden crust. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add cooked pasta to sautee pan with about ½ C pasta water and toss to mix. Add ¾ feta, ¾ mint, and lemon juice/zest (if using). Continue to toss until mixed, adding pasta water as needed to result in a glossy, slippery sauce.
- Plate pasta, finishing with remaining mint and feta for a little pop on the plate. Enjoy!
Notes
- Salt your pasta water GENEROUSLY. In this case, it should taste like seawater before you plop your pasta in.
- Skip the colander. I like to push my zucchini cooking skillet and pasta cooking pot close together, then use tongs to drag the cooked noodles and some of the pasta water into the veggie pan.
- Don’t toss your pasta water. Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and save it. That starchy liquid turns the olive oil and garlic into a beautiful, glossy sauce. If you have leftover pasta, it’s also great to keep some of the pasta water in a separate container — adding it when you reheat your leftovers helps to revivify the sauce perfectly.
- Save your spent lemon rinds and mint stems to make a pitcher of deliciously free spa water to help keep you hydrated in style.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container (preferably with a separate container of leftover pasta water) for up to a week. To reheat, zap in the microwave or heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of pasta water as needed to revive the sauce.
