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The creamiest easy Zucchini Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata. The perfect bowl of summertime pasta. Just like classic carbonara, this pasta has a creamy Italian carbonara sauce. But I made some adaptions by adding shredded zucchini, crispy prosciutto, and burrata cheese. The zucchini helps to create an even creamier, buttery carbonara sauce. This simple zucchini carbonara is a great way to use up the garden zucchini. Plus, everyone in the house will enjoy this dish, veggies and all!
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Sometimes all you need on a summer night is a bowl of creamy summer pasta. Our summer has been rainy, making some of our nights dark and cozy. They almost remind me of fall (which will be here before we know it). On these cozier nights, with the rain pouring down on the roof, I’m often left craving something warmer.
Sometimes I’ll make creamy polenta, or we’ll do a good homemade pan-style pizza. But most of the time, I make a quick summer pasta.
Pasta never disappoints! And this zucchini carbonara has been on repeat in my kitchen all summer long. It’s simple to make and so delicious – everybody loves it.
Some carbonara details
Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta consisting of a sauce made from raw eggs. Now before you let that freak you out, the eggs do get cooked.
The key is to toss the eggs with the steaming hot pasta. Tossing the raw eggs with hot pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese creates a delicious sauce. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and produces the silkiest, smoothest, and creamiest pasta sauce.
My carbonara is a little un-traditional in that I like to use prosciutto in place of pancetta. I also almost always add herbs and burrata cheese. Yum!
Here’s how to make this carbonara
You’ll need prosciutto, eggs, parmesan, pecorino cheese, garlic, herbs, pasta, and burrata cheese. And then of course the zucchini.
First, pull out all of your ingredients and bring them to room temp. The key to a good carbonara is to serve it right after tossing. So having everything prepped and ready to go before cooking is key.
Start with the prosciutto. I prefer to bake the prosciutto in the oven as it’s hands-off. It also ensures the prosciutto gets evenly cooked and is crispy all around.
While the prosciutto is cooking, shred the zucchini and place it in a colander.
To make the sauce, whisk the eggs with parmesan, pecorino, garlic, and whatever herbs you have on hand. I like to use a mix of basil and thyme, but whatever you have will be great.
Boil the pasta, then drain it over the zucchini, the pasta water will start warming the zucchini. Once drained, immediately toss the pasta and zucchini with the eggs. This step is really important, but don’t worry it’s also really easy. Just be sure to toss, toss, toss for a good minute until the sauce thickens.
Lastly, serve this dish topped with torn burrata cheese and that extra crispy prosciutto. Oh, black pepper on top is always delicious too.
This is meant to be on the creamy/almost soupy side, with lots and lots of creamy sauce. The pasta will soak up the sauce if it sits too long, so be sure to enjoy it right away.
A good way to get in your vegetables and use up all the zucchini you have. And well, that’s that, told ya this is simple!
Looking for other pasta recipes? Here are some favorites:
One Pot Melty Burrata Lemon Pesto Pasta
Creamy Penne Alfredo with Spicy Arugula
One Pot Spicy Alla Vodka Pizza Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Zucchini Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Zucchini Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata
Ingredients
- 3 ounces prosciutto, torn
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 zucchini, or yellow summer squash, grated or cut into thin strands
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- chili flakes
- 3/4 pound spaghetti
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces burrata or ricotta, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto in an even layer. Add the garlic and toss with olive oil. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the prosciutto is crisp and the garlic roasted. 2. Meanwhile, place the zucchini in a colander. Toss with a tiny pinch of salt.3. whisk together the eggs, parmesan, pecorino, basil, thyme, chili flakes, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a large serving bowl.4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al dente. Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain directly over the zucchini. This will heat the zucchini. 5. Immediately add the hot pasta to the egg/cheese mixture, tossing quickly (to ensure the eggs do not scramble) until the eggs thicken and create a sauce. Thin the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches your desired consistency. Be careful when adding the water, the zucchini will naturally release some water into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.6. Serve topped with freshly torn burrata, prosciutto, and herbs. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this tonight. It was easy and amazing. A 10/10!
Hi Susan,
Happy Wednesday!!🍊🍋 I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
This recipe is so simple and SO delicious! You can basically do everything while the prosciutto is crisping in the oven. I grated my zucchini instead of spiraling it – only because I couldn’t find my spiralizer and still SO GOOD!!
Hi Cate,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your review!🍓🍑 xT
This was great! Easy and so satisfying. The whole family liked it.
Hey Jessica,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) xx
How much of the four cloves of garlic get baked with the prosciutto and how much go into the eggs and Parmesan mixture?
Hi Mary,
You will use 2 cloves of garlic in each part:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This is one of my favorite dinners! Year round it’s so good. BUT – now I’m pregnant and don’t think I should be eating the undercooked eggs. Do you have any suggestions to alter the sauce so there are no undercooked eggs? Thanks!!
Hi Kelsey,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe! So sorry, the eggs are what make a carbonara sauce:) They do technically get cooked from the heat, but I would check with your doctor to see what he/she thinks! xx
I’ve never made carbonara with whole eggs, usually just the yolks. I’m a little nervous the whites will get cooked. My family won’t eat eggs on their own, only cooked into baked goods etc.
is it okay to only use the yolks or does it really turn out well with the whole egg?
Hey Victoria,
Totally, you could just use the yolks! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
One of my favorites of your recipes!
Hey Jen,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I made this tonight and it was fantastic!
I have made carbonara before but this was a great twist with the zucchini/summer squash & prosciutto . I made it exactly as written with the burrata (I have never used burrata before so that was cool!) and I wouldn’t change a thing! This will definitely be on my summer time rotation.
Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hey Lori,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
This is one of my new favorite recipes! I’ve already made it 3-4 times now. Super easy and delicious. I didn’t have fresh herbs so I used 1 tsp of each instead and it still turned out amazing. It reheats well in the oven over the next couple of days too. Thank you so much!
Hi Erin,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Wednesday:)
This recipe is so delicious! It’s so flavorful and it’s pretty easy. I did bacon instead of prosciutto and cooked the bacon ahead of time so it was pretty quick to put the dish together. My friend and I both liked it a lot.
Use a mandolin for the squash and its crazy fast!
Hi Lauren,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
I loved this dish so much. My family ate it up. I am not a natural cook so I was nervous but it turned out great. I am so glad I know how to do a carbonara type sauce now to change things up a bit. The crispy prosciutto added a lot of flavor as well. For people that are like me and get nervous about being too fancy or don’t have as much time, I did realize that doing the dry fresh thyme, dry basil, or pre-grated parmesan is totally OK too and still tastes good!
Hey Michele,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was sooo good! The only thing I’ll do different next time – which is totally just a personal preference – is use a bit less fresh thyme – 2 tablespoons was a little strong for my taste buds (though my husband thought that amount was perfect). Even still it was AMAZING and SO DELICIOUS! Thank you for the recipe!!
Hey Megan,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
Excellent! That sauce… so easy and so good. Lemony, cheesy, rich but fresh. We LOVED this dish. You knocked it out of the park with this one!
Hi Karen,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
How do I get the zucchini into those thin strands? Box grater or mandolins?
Use a mandolin and shred the zucchini lengthwise to get long ribbons.
Hi Allison,
Here is the link for the veggie peeler that I used:
https://rstyle.me/+2n2ZPWriEqsEHLpKF4rkQQ
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This is so delicious! I usually blanch my zucchini noodles & they get mushy. Pouring the pasta water over them warmed them but still kept their crispy texture. The creaminess of the cheese was perfect. This will become a mainstay on my table.
Hi Nora,
Happy Friday! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! ?xx