Sautéed squash eventually gets jammy and saucy if cooked long enough, ideal as a way to coat big pieces of pasta. This recipe is part of the Healthyish Farmers’ Market Challenge. Get all 10 recipes here.
Ingredients
4 servings
¼
8
2
1
12
2
1
½
Preparation
Step 1
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until very lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add squash and increase heat to medium high; season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until squash begins to break down. Turn down heat once it begins sticking, and continue to cook until the squash is jammy and soft, 12–15 minutes. Toss in 1 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente.
Step 3
Transfer pasta to skillet with squash using a slotted spoon or spider and add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook pasta, adding 2 oz. Parmesan in stages along with more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. Toss in lemon juice and most of the basil.
Step 4
Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and Aleppo-style pepper and remaining basil.
Nutrition Per Serving
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Reviews (72)
Back to TopFantastic! We made this recipe on vacation and it was wonderful! I'm always looking for healthy, simple dinner ideas with lots of veggies! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Even my husband, a hamburger guy, remarked about it a week later! I will definitely make it again and share with my; daughters!
Cindy RP
Richmond, VA
5/26/2023
I am home from almost two weeks of travel and too lazy to go grocery shopping, but have a bursting garden. Googled squash and pasta and this was the first hit. Wow !! This did not disappoint. Subbed crushed red pepper and a dash of paprika for the Aleppo pepper. Will be making again!
Anonymous
CT
8/29/2022
3/5 stars because this recipe has the potential to be quite delicious but holds back. Honestly add in some flavor and spice: this recipe lacks a lot of it. Cook less pasta: ratio is off. Cook up some onions to add more sweetness and complexity, do NOT cook the garlic first or it will burn. This recipe simply feels incomplete, we can do better I made this recipe bc someone dropped off a huge summer squash and I had no interest in making a casserole.
Ley
8/17/2022
Was actually pretty good, and much better than i expected. Had a lot of yellow summer squash to eat through from our farm share so decided to try this. Prep was easy and just cooked the squash and garlic while pasta was cooking. Used lots of salt and basil, some parm and pasta water, and chopped up a fresh tomato to add a bit more color. Probably used a bit more squash and less pasta than recipe, but ratio turned out fine. Will do again this summer!
Jeff
West Hartford, CT
7/28/2022
How do you avoid burning the garlic? Turning up the heat to medium high after already browning seems risky.
Anonymous
6/8/2022
This has become one of my favourite pasta recipes. I make it as written, more or less, with the addition of toasted pine nuts. Subtle and delicious.
Anonymous
Canada
2/19/2022
We love this recipe. We use Campanelle pasta with it. So, so good! And it has been a joy to cook during the pandemic — it takes time, lots of love to pull it off. Thank you!!!
Anonymous
Oklahoma
1/24/2022
All the Parm in the world can’t doctor this bland recipe. All the other reviewers were right- don’t water your time.
Anonymous
Fresno, CA
9/13/2021
This is our latest obsession and on a weekly rotation through the summer. I frequently add a can of cannelloni beans or lentils at the same time that I add the pasta to make this more filling for our meatless nights. My husband isn’t usually a fan of vegetarian dinners but loves this one.
MPK143bonappetite
8/13/2021
Perfection. It didn’t take long to get the squash to a beautiful jammy texture, used a little extra lemon to wake it up and a good handful of chopped basil mixed in at the very end right before serving. Agreed with other commenters that 12oz of pasta is too much for the squash ratio. Used a mixture of baby zucchini’s and patty pans. Will be making again ASAP
Anonymous
Vancouver BC
8/3/2021
This recipe is a lot of work. It takes a long time for the zucchini to cook. I did not think the results were worth the effort. The zucchini cooked down to almost nothing and was overwhelmed by the pasta. I added more salt and lemon to get a better flavor but the zucchini sauce was not enough to really flavor the pasta.
Wendy Squires
Portland, Oregon
7/3/2021
This has made the regular dinner rotation in my house, and I NEVER get sick of it! Like other people have said, it’s endlessly riffable, but more importantly it comes together super fast!
Anonymous
Shirley, IL
12/6/2020
Call me crazy but I added a splash of red wine vinegar to the pan halfway through cooking the zucchini and I have to say it was a success. Very tasty, very hearty.
Anonymous
London, UK
11/29/2020
Easy, excellent recipe. Our toddlers love it, too - it tastes kind of like fancy Mac & Cheese. This recipe is also a great foundation for substitutions - I added a bunch of sliced mushrooms I had laying around recently and that was delicious as well.
Anonymous
Colorado
9/21/2020
Good and easy! I had a 9oz package of cheese tortellini that I used for the pasta and used the juice of an entire lemon.
Anonymous
NYC
9/10/2020