Spice up your weeknight pasta dish with this simple and easy Creamy Zucchini Fettuccine recipe! The star of this week’s dish is zucchini, accompanied by lemon, pasta, garlic, and Italian seasoning. This version of fettuccine pasta adds zucchini to the mix and cuts back on the cream, inviting a lighter and refreshing twist to a classic favorite. Pair with parmesan cheese and basil for a comforting pasta dish that can be made on a busy weeknight.
INGREDIENTS
½ box of Barilla Fettuccine Pasta (8 oz)
2 small zucchini, cubed
1 stick of butter (4 tablespoons)
3 cream cheese packets; more or less to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 packets of crushed red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested
2 packets of parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water liberally!
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain just before the pasta is finished so it won’t get mushy when you add it to the vegetable pan and it will get cooked a little more.
- Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat.
- Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add zucchini to the pan and stir the vegetables to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally until some of the water has cooked off and the veggies are tender about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the fettuccine and add it to the pan along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, cream cheese, and parmesan.
- Toss the fettuccine around the pan, and add salt and Italian seasoning to taste.
- When finished, top with some more parmesan cheese and basil (optional)
- Serve and enjoy!
TIPS & TRICKS
CREAM CHEESE
You can add more or less cream cheese to adjust the creaminess of this dish! You can also substitute cream cheese for heavy whipping cream.
PASTA
For this recipe, it’s recommended that you just slightly undercook the pasta. When you add to the vegetables they will cook more, so undercook them slightly to avoid overcooking the pasta.
