Creamy Pasta with Zucchini Sauce
This easy creamy pasta with zucchini sauce is a simple and healthy weeknight dinner option. The sauce comes together easily by blending roasted zucchini and shallots with parmesan and cottage cheese for extra protein. This simple pasta is creamy without being heavy, and it’s secretly healthy with the roasted veggies.
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into ½ in slices (about 2-3 zucchini)
- 2 shallots, diced large
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt for veggies plus more for sauce, if needed
- ¼ tsp black pepper (a couple turns)
- 1 pound uncooked fettuccini pasta (or your favorite pasta)
- 1 cup cottage cheese (not low-fat)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ to ½ cup pasta water (or can use vegetable or chicken broth instead)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the zucchini and shallots with olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes until they’re darker in color, soft, and starting to brown a little.1 pound zucchini, cut into ½ in slices (about 2-3 zucchini), 2 shallots, diced large, 2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp salt for veggies, ¼ tsp black pepper (a couple turns)
- While the zucchini roasts, cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Reserve a little pasta water before draining the pasta (up to 1 cup of pasta water).1 pound uncooked fettuccini pasta (or your favorite pasta)
- Place the roasted zucchini and shallots, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and pasta water in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if desired (we usually add a little more too). Note: we typically use about ½ cup of pasta water, but you can start with less and add more if you need it to thin out the sauce, depending on your preference.1 pound zucchini, cut into ½ in slices (about 2-3 zucchini), 2 shallots, diced large, 1 cup cottage cheese (not low-fat), ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ¼ to ½ cup pasta water (or can use vegetable or chicken broth instead)
- Pour the blended sauce over the cooked noodles and toss to coat. It may seem like a lot of sauce at first, but the noodles will continue to stiffen up and soak up the sauce as it sits.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning, and top with more parmesan cheese, a squeeze of lemon, or fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Use full-fat cottage cheese for best flavor and creaminess. Low-fat is more watery and will make for a thinner and less flavorful sauce.
- For the creamiest consistency, use a blender for the sauce, not a food processor. Food processors will work in a pinch, but they tend to keep the sauce on the chunkier side instead of creamy.
- Save some pasta water for blending. Before you drain the pasta, ladle out some pasta water into a container. If you forget to do this, don't worry. You can use regular water or broth instead.