Easy Creamy Vegan Zucchini Pasta
This fresh-yet-decadent pasta is the perfect late summer recipe to use up those last garden zucchinis.
Servings 6
Calories 432kcal
Ingredients
Walnut Topping (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts,
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Pasta
- 1 (13 oz) box chickpea penne (or: favorite pasta)
- 2 cups pasta water, reserved from cooking pasta
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 medium/large zucchini
- 1 Tablespoon white miso paste
- ½ fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, adds a mild heat)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (zest of 1 medium lemon)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1 medium lemon)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, few leaves reserved for garnish
- coarse salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Optional for walnut topping: Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large sauteé pan over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring often, until color deepens, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
- Add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil to the large sautée pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook about 3-5 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and golden.
- Add the beans, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes until some beans develop a golden color. While the beans cook, finely grate the zucchini using a box grater.
- Add the zucchini and miso to the pan and cook, stirring intermittently, until the zucchini has softened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water and set it aside.
- Add 1 cup of pasta water to thin the sauce and allow it to simmer on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- When the sauce has thickened a bit, use the back of a spoon to smash most of the beans. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more pasta water. Continue cooking, stirring, and smashing beans for another 5 minutes or until the sauce appears creamy, with the zucchini having softened and broken down.
- Turn off the stove and mix in the lemon juice, zest, and parsley. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until it is evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, add some more pasta water. If too thin, turn the heat on to medium and allow some water to cook out. Taste and adjust the seasoning, pasta water, and/or lemon as desired.
- Transfer the pasta to a bowl and optionally top it with the walnuts and oil, and a few parsley leaves, before serving.
- Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Notes
Nutrition facts calculated with walnut topping and chickpea penne. Nutrition facts will vary based on brands and substitutions used.
Nutrition
Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 1250mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 7mg
