Name: Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 oz linguine or thin spaghetti (dry); 3 tbsp olive oil (plus more for drizzling at the end, use good quality here); 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced); 2 pints cherry tomatoes (halved, about 4 cups); 3 medium zucchini (sliced into 1/4-inch rounds or half-moons); 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste and for the pasta water); 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional but recommended); 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (loosely packed, torn or roughly chopped); 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus more for the table); 1/3 cup pasta cooking water (reserved before draining)

From the roundup: 20 Zucchini Pasta Dinner Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes

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My seven-year-old picked every single cherry tomato out of her bowl, ate them first, and then announced the zucchini was “slimy” before eating it anyway. Zucchini and cherry tomato pasta with basil is the dinner I pull together fastest in August when both are coming out of the garden at the same time, and the trick I learned after a watery first attempt is to let the zucchini sit in the hot skillet without stirring so it gets some color instead of steaming. The tomatoes go in next and you press them down with a wooden spoon until they burst and coat everything in a sauce that needs nothing added to it. Finish with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil right before serving so neither one wilts into the heat.

How this one became a summer regular

A few summers ago I grabbed two overgrown zucchini off the counter and a pint of cherry tomatoes that were starting to wrinkle, fully intending to make something else. I threw them in the skillet together while the pasta water came to a boil, and the tomatoes collapsed into this loose, glossy sauce that I did not plan at all. My oldest asked for seconds, which almost never happens with vegetables, so I wrote it down on a sticky note and kept it.

It has been on rotation ever since, mostly because I almost always have these ingredients on hand from late June through September. Some nights I add the red pepper flakes, some nights I skip them depending on who is eating. Either way it comes together before anyone has a chance to complain about what is for dinner.

Why you will love this

The tomatoes burst and form their own sauce right in the pan, no extra liquid needed
Genuinely 30 minutes start to finish, including pasta boiling time
Vegetarian as written, and easy to make vegan by skipping the Parmesan
Works with whatever pasta shape is already open in the pantry
Leftovers reheat well in a skillet the next day for a fast lunch

Tips for success

Salt your pasta water until it tastes lightly salty. The starchy water you reserve is doing real work in this sauce, so do not skip scooping it out before you drain.
Watch the garlic for the full 60 seconds and do not walk away. Thin-sliced garlic goes from golden to burnt faster than you expect, and burnt garlic will make the whole pan taste bitter.
Press the tomatoes with a wooden spoon once they blister. You do not need to mash them completely, just enough to break the skin so the juice runs out and the sauce builds. If you skip this step the sauce stays thin.
Add the pasta water a little at a time when you toss. Start with the 1/3 cup and judge from there. Some nights the tomatoes release more liquid and you will not need it all.

If the sauce turns out watery or dry

Watery sauce: keep the heat at medium-high when the tomatoes are cooking and resist stirring too often. More movement means less evaporation.
Too thick or sticky when tossing: add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time and toss with tongs over medium heat until it loosens up.
Bland finish: taste after you add the Parmesan and adjust salt. A small drizzle of good olive oil right at the end also pulls the flavors together in a way that extra salt alone does not.

Substitutions

Grape tomatoes work fine in place of cherry tomatoes and hold their shape a little longer before bursting. Yellow squash can replace half or all of the zucchini with no changes to timing. For the pasta, regular spaghetti, bucatini, or penne all work. Rigatoni is good if you want something that catches more of the sauce in the ridges.

To make it vegan, leave out the Parmesan and stir in a tablespoon of capers or a small pinch of nutritional yeast for a little savory depth. For picky eaters who pick around the zucchini, you can slice it into very thin rounds so it softens down and mostly disappears into the sauce by the time it is done cooking.

Make-ahead and storage

You can slice the zucchini and halve the tomatoes up to a day ahead and store them separately in covered containers in the fridge. That cuts the active prep down to almost nothing on a busy night. The pasta itself is best cooked fresh since it absorbs the sauce quickly once it sits.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will drink up the sauce as it sits, so reheat it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or olive oil, stirring until it loosens and warms through. Add a few fresh basil leaves after reheating if you have them, since the stored basil will have wilted. This dish does not freeze well.

Brittany Stage