This zucchini pasta is one of my favorite things to make, whether it’s lunch, dinner or even a party dish. Caramelized zucchini and tender pasta come together under a lemon vinaigrette with toasty pine nuts for crunch and shaved parmesan. It’s delicious and can be made ahead of time too!
Is it too late in the season for pasta salad?!
Never! I think not. This caramelized zucchini pasta salad is a great way to use up any leftover garden zucchini and a way to make a delish side dish.
This is the exact kind of dish I love to make for my own lunches. I will also serve it as a side dish for dinner and it’s one of those salads that is wonderful to have in the fridge.
It tastes a little different and special because of the caramelized zucchini, which always makes things more interesting on your lunch or dinner plate.
I am forever searching for non-boring meals and this fits in perfectly. As long as dishes seem a bit exciting, unique, different but not flat out weird, I call that a win!
This is a great dish to make in the summer since it can be served filled or at room temperature. But it’s also amazing in the fall and winter – it definitely has a bit of a cozy vibe!
Here’s what we’re working with:
Caramelized zucchini, which cooks down in a skillet until it’s toasty and melty and delicious.
A lemony herb dressing, which adds some zing and zip, along with some diced shallots right in the dressy which takes away the bite.
Toasty pine nuts, because I adore their buttery flavor and crunch.
Shaved parmesan, simply because everything is better with parmesan.
The combo of skillet soft, caramely zucchini comes from my melted zucchini baked ziti dish. It takes some time to throw together but is ultimately so tasty and such a nice switch from traditional baked ziti or marinara based pastas.
Really, this idea came from the fact that I can eat that pasta dish straight from the fridge, cold. However, it does have some melted cheese which makes things less enjoyable when chilled.
Hence, a true caramely zucchini pasta salad was born that DOES taste great cold.
I call this a “salad” if merely for the lack of melted cheese, because everything tosses together so well and stays nice and salad-y in the fridge. The noodles will soak up some of that lemon dressing and become even more flavorful too!
For this dish, I like to use a noodle that can hide some of that cheese and the pine nuts inside! These little shellbows/macaroni noodles are perfect, but any short cut of pasta will work. Even a classic elbow macaroni.
Yes, yum!
Caramelized Zucchini Pasta Salad
Caramelized Zucchini Pasta Salad
This zucchini pasta is one of my favorite things to make, whether it’s lunch, dinner or even a party dish. Caramelized zucchini and tender pasta come together under a lemon vinaigrette with toasty pine nuts for crunch and shaved parmesan. It’s delicious and can be made ahead of time too!
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the zucchini, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini cook down and sort of melt into the pan, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes. The zucchini should be soft and slightly golden in color.
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While the zucchini is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions. You can also make the lemon dressing at this time too.
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To toast the pine nuts, place them in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking and stirring the whole time, until golden and fragrant. This will take around 6 to 8 minutes!
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To assemble the dish, toss the zucchini and the pasta together. Add some of the dressing (about half) and toss well until fully mixed. Stir in the pine nuts and shaved parmesan. Taste and season more if needed or add more dressing.
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Serve! This stays great in the fridge for two or three days.
lemon vinaigrette
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Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, honey, dijon, garlic, basil, shallots and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified. This stays great in the fridge for a few days and you can make it ahead of time!
Eating this today for sure.
