Pasta Zucchine e Parmigiano

Pasta with sautéed courgettes and Parmigiano Reggiano. No sauce — zucchine golden in olive oil with garlic, tossed with pasta and cheese. ~€0.61/serving.

Serves: 4Prep: 5 minCook: 15 minTotal: 20 minDifficulty: EasyCuisine: Italian
→ Calculate ingredient cost for this recipePrices are editorial estimates (Q1 2025). Confidence rating shown after calculation.

Pasta Zucchine e Parmigiano

Pasta with courgettes and Parmigiano — a straightforward vegetable pasta that requires no sauce. The zucchine are sautéed in olive oil with garlic until lightly golden, then tossed with pasta and grated cheese. The pasta water creates a loose, cohesive coating. Ready in 20 minutes.

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 320g dry pasta (spaghetti, rigatoni, or farfalle)
  • 400g courgettes (zucchine), sliced into rounds or half-moons
  • 60g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, finely grated
  • 10g garlic (2 cloves), sliced thin
  • 30ml extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to 2 minutes less than package time.

2. Sauté the courgettes Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the courgettes in a single layer if possible. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden at the edges. Season with salt.

3. Combine Drain the pasta, reserving 150ml pasta water. Add the pasta to the courgette pan. Add 80ml pasta water. Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Add cheese Add the grated Parmigiano in two additions, tossing between each. Add more pasta water if the mixture is dry — the target is a light coating that binds the ingredients, not a sauce.

5. Serve Serve immediately with an extra grating of Parmigiano.

Notes

The courgettes must colour slightly — pale, steamed zucchine have no flavour in this dish. High heat and enough oil (30ml is not optional) are the two requirements. If the pan is crowded, work in batches.

This is a no-sauce pasta. The binding is pasta water starch plus cheese fat. It is closer in technique to cacio e pepe than to a vegetable ragù.

Cost Context

At Italian supermarket prices (Q1 2025): pasta (€1.65/kg), zucchine (€2.00/kg), Parmigiano Reggiano (€17.50/kg), garlic, olive oil. Total for 4 servings: approximately €2.43 — roughly €0.61 per serving. This is one of the lowest-cost fresh vegetable pasta dishes in the site repertoire.

Use the Recipe Cost Calculator to see the itemised breakdown. Compare to pasta cacio e pepe (€0.43/serving, no vegetables) and pasta al pomodoro (€0.38/serving).