A simple zucchini mushroom pasta recipe that's packed with fresh garden flavors and topped with crispy, lemony breadcrumbs. An easy vegetarian summer dinner that's great for weeknight cooking.
You can't go wrong when you toss together a bunch of fresh ingredients, especially vegetables, with pasta. And that's why this dish works so well. Earthy mushrooms, tender slices of zucchini, crispy lemon-flavored breadcrumbs, and sweet and spicy basil leaves form a tasty summer combo that you'll love.
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Zucchini gets a bad rap from the home gardener. Yes, zucchini does grow quickly and profusely. But if you pick them often, and don't plant too many, you won't have a problem. And yes, zucchini on its own, cooked in some boring way like steaming, will not be delicious. But when you season it well and pair it up with interesting flavors, zucchini is a welcome addition to summer cooking.
If you need more zucchini recipe ideas, try my Zucchini Curry or Simple Stuffed Zucchini. Another idea I just tried for the first time is quick zucchini pickles. Instead of cucumbers, you use zucchini. They were much better than expected!
For more mushroom inspiration, you might like my Potato and Mushroom Soup or these Chicken Swedish Meatballs that are coated in a creamy mushroom sauce.
🥘 Ingredients
This simple dish combines sauteed zucchini and mushrooms with onions, garlic, and red pepper in a light white wine sauce. Of course, there's pasta, too. Here's everything you'll need:
- Pasta - Such as penne, rotini, or another small shape with some texture to it
- Onion - Just a basic white onion is all you need
- Mushrooms - I like Baby Bella mushrooms, but whatever you have is fine. You can save a few minutes and buy a presliced package.
- Garlic - Because you can't have a pasta dish without it
- Zucchini - Look for small to medium zucchini for the best flavor
- Red pepper flakes - For just a hint of spice
- White wine - To create a light sauce to coat the pasta
- Lemon - We'll need both the zest and juice
- Grated parmesan - Because you can't have pasta without cheese, right?
- Bread crumbs - Crunchy breadcrumbs with lots of texture, like panko, are great
- Basil - Fresh, not dried
🍷 Substitutions and Variations
Yellow squash - If you only have yellow squash, that works fine instead of zucchini.
Wine - A good flavored vegetable (or chicken) broth is a fine substitute for the wine if you don't have it or don't consume alcohol.
Spicy - Use ¼ or ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes for more heat.
Creamy - As is, this dish has a simple, very light white wine sauce. If you want to make more of a creamy zucchini pasta dish, add a splash or two of heavy cream in the last minutes of cooking.
Sun-dried tomatoes - Would make a great addition. Roughly chop and toss them in when you add the zucchini to the pan.
🔪 Instructions
Here's how to make zucchini mushroom pasta:
Slice the zucchini and mushrooms. Chop the onion. Mince the garlic. Zest and juice the lemon. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and add lemon zest and ½ teaspoon salt.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and red pepper for 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes.
Carefully pour in the white wine (or broth). Simmer until reduced in half.
Toss in the zucchini and cook until tender, about 5-8 more minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta and lemon juice to coat. Then top with torn basil leaves and the lemon breadcrumbs before serving.
💭 Top tips
- Save 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. You may want to add a bit to the pan if you find the pasta too dry and want things a little saucier. It's also good to add if/when reheating leftovers.
- Try not to overcook the zucchini! If you've ever had mushy zucchini, you know how terrible it can be. It's why so many people hate the poor vegetable. If you slice it thin and aren't using giant pieces, it won't take long to cook and it's why it's the last thing you add into the pan.
📋FAQ
I would try adding chicken to make this a chicken zucchini mushroom pasta dish. Add cubed, lightly salted chicken pieces after sauteeing the onions and before adding the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes to lightly brown, then continue with the recipe as written. The dish may turn out drier, so definitely use that extra pasta water if needed. Ground sausage is another idea.
Simple. Don't overcook it! Since it won't all fit in one single layer in the pan, make sure to toss it around every once in a while as it cooks.
I only remove the seeds from zucchini when they are very large and have large seeds. I don't bother with small—to medium-sized zucchini.
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Mushroom Pasta
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple savory zucchini and mushroom pasta recipe packed with fresh garden flavors and crispy lemony breadcrumbs. A quick vegetarian summer dinner.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of pasta (any kind works)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 2 small zucchini
- a handful of fresh basil
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup white wine or vegetable broth
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a couple of good pinches of salt and the pasta. Cook according to the package directions until al dente. Save 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Then, set the pasta aside.
- While the pasta water heats, prepare your fresh ingredients. Roughly chop the onion, mince the garlic, thinly slice the mushrooms and zucchini, roughly tear the basil, and zest and juice the lemon.
- Heat a large, deep pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the breadcrumbs and cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir often and keep a close eye on them to avoid burning. When done, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. Mix in the lemon zest and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Return the empty pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the red pepper flakes and onion and saute for about 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and the remaining salt, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Pour the wine or broth into the pan and simmer on high for a couple of minutes, until the wine has reduced to about half as much, before adding the zucchini. Lower the heat and continue cooking, tossing around the zucchini for another 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender but not mushy.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the pasta, parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Toss well to coat the pasta with the sauce and vegetables. If the sauce is thick and not coating the pasta well, add some of the reserved pasta water, as needed. Top with the lemon breadcrumbs and torn basil, and serve.
Notes
If the dish ends up too thick, or you plan to reheat it later, add some of that pasta water you saved. This starchy water helps to rehydrate the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Penny says
My family enjoyed this dish a lot. I made it almost exactly as written, but I put in a few sun dried tomatoes, too.
Steve says
Glad you enjoyed it, Penny! Sundried tomatoes sound like a great addition.
Dawn says
I ended up not using all of the liquid in the pan with the veggies because I felt like I was about to eat soup. When are you supposed to add the garlic?
Steve says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Dawn. Sorry for the oversight. The garlic goes in with the mushrooms. I've updated the recipe. When using just the cup of wine or broth, I didn't find the result to be soupy after cooking and tossing everything with the pasta. The reserved cup of pasta water is only needed if the sauce is too thick. I updated the wording on that in case it wasn't clear.