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A delicious creamy zucchini pasta made with basil, garlic, the dreamiest Italian soft cheese (Stracchino) and topped with crispy pancetta. This recipe is really easy and full of flavour, ready in just 30 minutes.
During the summer, I love a quick and easy pasta recipe (hello Pasta alla Vittorio) but it’s got to be something I’m excited to eat and this creamy zucchini pasta definitely ticks that box.
The zucchini is sautéed with garlic then it’s blitzed with fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano and the most delicious Italian soft cheese – Stracchino (more on that below). It’s then topped with crispy pancetta for the most delicious and easy meal that’s perfect for using up summer zucchini.
Stracchino is a soft and tangy Italian cheese and also used to make classic Tuscan sausage and stracchino crostini. If you can’t find it, we’ve listed some alternatives for you below.
Enjoy!
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Stracchino cheese – this is a really delicious, tangy Italian soft cheese and can be used in so many different ways. Crescenza and Squacquerone are very similar and can also be used. Italian food stores should store one of these, but if you can’t find them, you could use a good cream cheese instead or even burrata (although that won’t give you the same tangy flavour).
Visual walk-thorugh of the recipe
See our step-by-step photos below to give you a visual representation of the recipe. The full written recipe and tips can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Fry the pancetta until crispy, then set it aside for topping at the end (photo 1).
Step 2 – Saute the zucchini in the same pan (add olive oil if there’s not much pancetta fat). Add the finely chopped garlic with a pinch of salt and saute until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Let the zucchini cook for 5-7 minutes until soft (photos 2 and 3).
Step 3 – Once cooked, add the zucchini to a blender or food processor with the basil, stracchino cheese and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Blitz to a smooth and creamy sauce (photos 4-6).
Step 4 – Add the sauce back to the pan and add the cooked pasta, toss until combined, then serve in bowls topped with crispy pancetta (photos 7 and 8).
More zucchini recipes to try
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Creamy Zucchini and Stracchino Pasta with Crispy Pancetta
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) Paccheri pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 2 zucchini (courgettes)
- 1/2 cup (110g) Italian Stracchino cheese
- 1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3.5 oz (100g) Pancetta, cut into cubes or matchsticks
- 1 oz (30g or 1/2 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- Large handful fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons of water
- Olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Wash and cut the zucchini into quarters lengthwise, then chop it into small pieces.
- Heat a large pan on a medium-low heat and add the cubed pancetta. Fry the pancetta for a few minutes until slightly golden then remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the chopped zucchini to the pan (there should be enough fat from the pancetta but if not, add a drizzle of olive oil). Add the garlic and a sprinkle of salt and saute for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add 2 tablespoons of water to the zucchini and cover it with a lid. Turn the heat to medium and let the zucchini cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
- When the zucchini is cooked, add it to a blender or food processor with the fresh basil, stracchino cheese, parmigiano reggiano and blitz to a smooth sauce.
- Add the pureed sauce back to the pan (off the heat). When your pasta is ready transfer it to the pan and toss it in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick you can add a splash of pasta water and turn the heat on briefly to emulsify the sauce.
- Serve in bowls topped with crispy pancetta.
Notes
- Storage – leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Prep ahead – you can make the sauce in advance and store it in the fridge until needed. You may want to warm the pancetta up in a pan for a fresher flavour if you’ve prepped that in advance too.
- Stracchino alternative – Crescenza is another name for stracchino and another one to look out for. Squacquerone is another similar cheese. If you can find any of those, then a good cream cheese will work or burrata, although it will have a milder flavour.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
