This Mushroom Zucchini Pasta has a creamy, lemony sauce with a subtle heat. Packed with veggies and fiber, this zucchini and mushroom pasta makes an excellent plant-based weeknight dinner!

a large pan of creamy mushroom zucchini pasta

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a fantastic plant-based weeknight dinner – perfect if you do a weekly meatless meal!
This mushroom zucchini pasta is light, creamy, and full of vibrant flavors of lemon, garlic, parmesan, and thyme, with a subtle kick from the crushed chili pepper flakes.
It’s quick! Twenty minutes and dinner’s on the table!
Especially if you use a chickpea pasta, each serving has over 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber!

Featured Ingredients

ingredients to make zucchini and mushroom pasta

Pasta: Use whatever shape and type of pasta you prefer. I love using chickpea and lentil pasta for extra fiber and protein. (Thrive Market has many pastas for any and all lifestyles, all conveniently delivered straight to your door. Save 40% on your first order with my affiliate link!)
Mushrooms: Slice fresh mushrooms thinly. Not a mushroom fan? Substitute another fresh vegetable of your choice, like chopped red bell pepper or asparagus, or even frozen peas.
Zucchini: Depending on the size of your zucchini, slice into half moons or quarters. And same with the zucchini – sub your favorite vegetable if you’re not a fan (although this is SUCH a good recipe for zucchini!)
Lemon: The sauce is insanely vibrant and full of lemon flavor, thanks to the juice and zest of one lemon.
Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan adds a creamy, umami, saltiness to the sauce.
Crushed Red Chili Flakes: Omit if you’re not a fan of heat, but sauteing the vegetables with crushed red chili flakes adds a kick that pairs well with the vibrant lemon flavors.
Milk: Helps create the sauce – use whatever milk you like to drink! (Just avoid sweetened or flavored milks.)
Broth: You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth if you want to keep this dish vegetarian.
Cornstarch: Making a slurry with the milk and cornstarch is what helps thicken the sauce and gives it a light, creamy texture.
Other ingredients include extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, thyme, broth, salt, pepper, and reserved pasta cooking water.

Tips to Make Mushroom Zucchini Pasta

different steps showing how to make mushroom zucchini pasta

Start by preparing your ingredients. It’s worth a few extra bowls/ dishes used by having all of your ingredients chopped and measured. It’ll make for a smoother and more enjoyable cooking experience!
Boil water. Once water is boiling, salt the water, then add your pasta and cook to package directions. Cook on the lower end of a time range and aim for “al dente” – where there’s a slight bite to the pasta, and it’s far from mushy.
Sauté vegetables. Once the oil is fragrant in a large pan, add mushrooms, zucchini, onion, garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté until tender.
Create the sauce. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold milk to create a slurry, then add the slurry and broth to the vegetables. Stir immediately and continuously, as the cornstarch will thicken quickly as it heats. Then add lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmesan and stir until parmesan melts.
Add the pasta. Before draining the pasta, be sure to reserve some of the cooking water to help create the perfect saucy texture. Once drained, add pasta and 2 tablespoons of cooking water to the vegetable sauce. Add additional cooking water until the sauce is at your preferred sauciness, then season with salt, pepper to taste.
Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated parmesan then serve and enjoy!

forkful of twirled mushroom zucchini pasta

Storage & Reheating

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container up to three days.

To reheat, you can microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Alternatively you could reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat.

With either option you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to keep the pasta saucy.

Is This Zucchini Mushroom Pasta Healthy?

“Healthy” is subjective, but this mushroom zucchini pasta can absolutely be a (or part of a) healthy balanced meal.

Using a chickpea pasta, it’s got over 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving, both which make the dish more filling and satisfying. It’s lighter and has less cholesterol and saturated fat compared to cream-based sauces. Plus each serving has a couple servings of vegetables!

Note that the calories may be a little low for a full meal for many folks. You could eat a larger portion to satisfy your hunger, or pair it with a salad and/ or a protein.

a large pan of creamy mushroom zucchini pasta garnished with parmesan and parsley

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