Italian Zucchini Sauce

Zucchini season hits hard in my garden every summer. One day I have tiny little green squash, and the next day I’m drowning in more zucchini than my family can possibly eat. I’ve made zucchini bread until we’re all sick of it, and I’ve snuck it into every casserole I can think of.

That’s when I discovered zucchini sauce. It’s become my go-to way to use up all that extra zucchini without anyone complaining. I can make a big batch and freeze it in portions, which means I have homemade sauce ready to go on busy weeknights. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to get more vegetables into my kids’ pasta.

The best part? It tastes just like regular tomato sauce, but with a little extra something. My husband had no idea I was using zucchini until I told him after he’d been eating it for weeks.

How to Pick the Perfect Zucchini

For this sauce, you’ll want to pick zucchini that are medium-sized and firm to the touch – avoid the really large ones since they tend to be watery and have big seeds.

Look for zucchini that feel heavy for their size with smooth, unblemished skin that has a nice green color.

You don’t need to peel them since the skin adds color and nutrients to your sauce, plus it breaks down nicely during cooking.

If you can only find larger zucchini, just make sure to scoop out the seeds before chopping, as they can make your sauce a bit mushy.

Possible Ingredient Alternatives

• Zucchini: Yellow squash works perfectly as a substitute and will give you nearly the same texture and mild flavor. You could also try a mix of both for some color variety.
• Sweet onion: Regular yellow onions work just fine if you don’t have sweet onions on hand. You might get a slightly sharper flavor, but it’ll still taste great.
• Heavy cream: Half-and-half can replace heavy cream for a lighter version, though your sauce won’t be quite as rich. For dairy-free, try canned coconut milk (the full-fat kind works best).
• Romano cheese: Parmesan cheese is an easy swap here and will give you that same sharp, nutty flavor. Pecorino Romano also works if you can find it.
• Fresh herbs: If you’re missing any of the fresh herbs, you can use dried versions – just use about 1/3 of the amount called for. Fresh parsley can also stand in for any of these herbs in a pinch.
• Pasta: Any pasta shape works, but shorter shapes like penne or rigatoni are great for holding onto this creamy sauce.

How Can I Make This Italian Zucchini Sauce Lighter or Dairy-free?

To lighten this recipe, you can reduce the olive oil to 1/3–1/2 cup and replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or a mixture of milk and a tablespoon of cornstarch to help it thicken.

For a dairy-free version, swap the heavy cream for unsweetened oat or cashew cream and use a dairy-free Parmesan-style cheese or nutritional yeast in place of the Romano.

The zucchini and herbs provide plenty of flavor and body, so the sauce still tastes rich and satisfying even with these changes. Just add your dairy-free cream slowly, taste as you go, and adjust the salt and pepper to balance the flavors.

Storing Guidelines

Refrigerate: This zucchini sauce keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I actually think it tastes even better the next day after all those fresh herbs have had time to meld together. Store the pasta and sauce separately if you have leftovers to prevent the noodles from getting mushy.

Freeze: You can freeze just the zucchini sauce (without the pasta) for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or bags.

Warm Up: Gently reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. If it seems too thick, add a splash of pasta water or cream to loosen it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2700-3000
• Protein: 55-65 g
• Fat: 185-210 g
• Carbohydrates: 205-220 g

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 12 oz dry pasta of your choice

For the zucchini-herb sauce:

• 2 1/2 lb zucchini
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced sweet onion (such as vidalia)
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup finely grated romano cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (to finish)

Step 1: Cook the Pasta

• 12 oz dry pasta of your choice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the dry pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.

Before draining, reserve one cup of pasta water for later.

Drain the pasta and set aside.

I recommend tossing the cooked pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together while you prepare the sauce.

Step 2: Prepare and Shred the Zucchini

• 2 1/2 lb zucchini

While the pasta cooks, trim the ends and halve the zucchinis lengthwise.

Remove the seeds, then shred the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater or the shredder blade of a food processor.

Set the shredded zucchini aside until ready to use.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics

• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh garlic

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the diced sweet onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened.

Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and the minced garlic, cooking for one more minute until fragrant.

This creates a flavorful base for the zucchini sauce—sometimes I like to add a touch more red pepper for an extra kick.

Step 4: Cook the Zucchini Mixture

• shredded zucchini from Step 2
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Add the shredded zucchini from Step 2 into the skillet along with the kosher salt, ground black pepper, half of the chopped fresh basil, half the oregano, and half the mint.

Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Step 5: Finish the Sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

After 15 minutes, remove the skillet cover and stir in the heavy cream, along with the remaining chopped basil, oregano, and mint.

Bring the sauce back up to heat, letting it warm through and thicken slightly.

Step 6: Add Cheese and Serve

• cooked pasta from Step 1
• zucchini sauce from Step 5
• 3/4 cup finely grated Romano cheese
• reserved pasta water from Step 1
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (to finish)

Stir the finely grated Romano cheese into the hot zucchini sauce.

If the sauce seems too thick, gradually add some of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Toss the cooked pasta from Step 1 with the sauce, or serve the sauce spooned over the pasta.

To make the dish even more delicious, I like to finish by scattering extra fresh basil, oregano, and mint on top just before serving.

Italian Zucchini Sauce

Delicious Italian Zucchini Sauce recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 12 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2850 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pasta:

• 12 oz dry pasta of your choice

For the zucchini-herb sauce:

• 2 1/2 lb zucchini
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup finely grated Romano cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (to finish)

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dry pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve one cup of pasta water for later. Drain the pasta and set aside. I recommend tossing the cooked pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together while you prepare the sauce.
• While the pasta cooks, trim the ends and halve the zucchinis lengthwise. Remove the seeds, then shred the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater or the shredder blade of a food processor. Set the shredded zucchini aside until ready to use.
• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the diced sweet onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and the minced garlic, cooking for one more minute until fragrant. This creates a flavorful base for the zucchini sauce—sometimes I like to add a touch more red pepper for an extra kick.
• Add the shredded zucchini from Step 2 into the skillet along with the kosher salt, ground black pepper, half of the chopped fresh basil, half the oregano, and half the mint. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom.
• After 15 minutes, remove the skillet cover and stir in the heavy cream, along with the remaining chopped basil, oregano, and mint. Bring the sauce back up to heat, letting it warm through and thicken slightly.
• Stir the finely grated Romano cheese into the hot zucchini sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, gradually add some of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency. Toss the cooked pasta from Step 1 with the sauce, or serve the sauce spooned over the pasta. To make the dish even more delicious, I like to finish by scattering extra fresh basil, oregano, and mint on top just before serving.