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This bowl of Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta Alfredo is becoming one of our favorite summer pasta dishes. I took a classic pasta recipe and updated it with a light yet creamy caramelized onion sauce, summer zucchini, and fresh lemon and basil. Every twirl of pasta has delicious summertime flavors that melt in your mouth. Itโs a creamy bowl of lighter pasta Alfredo that comes together in under an hour. Perfect for warm summer nights!
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Summer solstice is on Thursday, and you all, Iโm so ready for it! In my mind, itโs been summer since June 1st, but now that itโs really official โ according to the calendar, we can break out all of our best summer dishes and start utilizing the amazing produce that summer has to offer.
Of course, zucchini is one of the summer vegetables that seems to be most abundant from June through September. I love to cook and bake with zucchini. I use it in salads, pasta, rice bowls, and even mixed into our summer cakes and muffins!
It is such a versatile ingredient!
The other week, my brother sent me this pasta video featuring a caramelized onion sauce. Honestly, it was too heavy and intense for me, especially for summer. But I did love the idea of incorporating a slowly caramelized onion into a creamy summer Alfredo sauce.
I wanted this pasta to feel cozy, taste delicious, and still be light. The addition of lemon and basil helps to keep this Alfredo feeling fresh and summery. It turned out so delicious!
These are the details
Step 1: cook the pasta
Boil your favorite pasta cut. For this Alfredo sauce, I love some longer cuts of pasta, such as fettuccini or linguine.
I used Mafaldine Italian Pasta di Gragnano, which is always fun!ย
Step 2: cook the lemon
Next, while the pasta cooks, caramelize slices of lemon in butter. Then chop the lemon slices and toss them with lots and lots of fresh basil.
Save the mix for topping the pasta. You can eat the lemon, rind and all! When the lemon is cooked, the bitterness is removed, and itโs delish.
Step 3: make the sauce
Now, start caramelizing the onion with some butter. Once the onion is caramelized, add it to the zucchini.
Allow the zucchini to cook until it turns a pretty golden color. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and a generous pour of heavy cream. Simmer the sauce until it thickens.
Step 4: finish this up!
Add so much parmesan cheese, then toss in the pasta.
At this point, plate the pasta, sauce, and zucchini. Then top with that reserved lemony basil mixture from step 2. And you can never go wrong with extra parmesan cheese, so add some more!
When you twirl the warm, buttery lemon pasta into the creamy Alfredo sauce, it instantly melts in your mouth, along with the buttery zucchini. And the onion adds just the perfect amount of uniqueness to the sauce. Itโs not intense, just delicious!
Looking for other summer pasta? Try these weeknight favorites.ย
Jammy Cherry Tomato Pasta with Crisp Lemon Rosemary Chickpeas
Antipasto Pasta Salad with Herby Parmesan Vinaigrette
One Pot Lemon Basil, Asparagus, and Sausage Pasta
20 minute lemon butter pasta with ricotta and spicy breadcrumbs
Lastly, if you make this Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta Alfredo, 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, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta Alfredo
Ingredientsย
- 1 pound linguine or fettuccini
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Instructionsย
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Remove 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain.2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lemon slices. Sear until the lemon is caramelized, about 1 minute per side. Remove the lemon from the skillet. Finely chop the lemon slices and mix with the basil.3. To the same skillet, add 4 tablespoons butter and the onion. Cook until caramelized, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, zucchini, thyme, and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cook another 5 minutes until golden. 4. Add 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and the cream, stirring until smooth. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the parmesan, then toss in the pasta. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. 5. Serve topped with the reserved lemon/basil mix. Twirl the pasta up with the sauce and zucchini. EAT and 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.
Had a bitter taste. Was easy to make.
Hi Danna,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was bitter for you!
This dish was delicious and a beautiful summer taste. The lemons were caramelized and mixed with the basil and amazing topper. With each bite you have this brightness and smoothness of the sauce. The zucchini are a nice touch in this creamy sauce. I can think even if you don’t like zucchini, you hardly can taste it, because it all blends together so well. I am so excited to have a new summer pasta dish, thank you.
Hey Anamay,
I really appreciate you making this recipe and reporting back. Thrilled it turned out well!
Loved this recipe! Anything basil and lemon is a family fav here. I think two recipes might be merged. The tic Tock offered different instructions from the written instructions and I was a bit confused as to what to do with the lemons. I improvised and remembered to saved the pasta water. Might need a few instructional tweaks. Thanks for all the amazing recipes ๐
Hey Claudia,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks so much for making it!
Have a wonderful week!
Iโm a little confused about the slice a lemon part. Are you cutting the outside of the lemon off? How bout we just a the juice of one lemon?
Hi Sharon,
I like to caramelize my lemons, but feel free to just use the juice:) I hope you love this dish!
We loved it. I would have cooked the lemonand removed it. I would not put it in with the basil for topping. Otherwise I thought the flavors were great! I added some chicken to increase the protein.
Hey Karen,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughtsโso happy it worked for you!
I so wanted to like this, but the lemon rind was a turn off. I cooked it longer than stated based on other reviews. It was so bitter and inedible. I added the little bit of lemon juice that I had in the freezer, but it was not enough to provide a lemon flavour. The onion zucchini sauce was OK. Not a recipe that I will try again.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I’m so sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed.
The lemon needs to cook longer than 2 minutes. It was very bitter. I added a dash of honey to counter the bitterness and that helped a bit. Otherwise, an easy pasta dish that I may brave cooking again.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Kate! I’m glad to hear you would make this recipe again, let me know how it turns out! xx
I seared the lemon for over 2 minutes but it was still very bitter and the pasta did t have a lemony flavor. Next time Iโll sear the lemon much longer and also add a little lemon juice to the sauce.
Otherwise, I thought the sauce was good and easy to make and I loved the added zucchini. Itโs great when I donโt need to come up with a vegetable to serve on the side!
Hi Tracy! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe, I really appreciate the input! Hope you enjoyed! Have a great Friday! ๐ xT
This was really good! I didn’t use the onions nor did I add the lemon back at the end. It still had a beautiful refreshing lemon flavor.
Hi Megan! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! So glad you loved the yummy lemon flavors! ๐ xT
Definitely make sure you cook the lemon well! I didn’t cook mine long enough and it came out so bitter, I had to pick the lemon pieces out. Otherwise this recipe is amazing! I added some lemon pepper grilled chicken and it was soooooo good
Hi Ashley! So happy to hear this lemon alfredo was enjoyed! Thanks for giving it a try! ๐ xT
I thought about cutting the corner on the lemon, I am so glad I went ahead and followed the lemon step. This recipe is so good. A little refreshing and light with a rich flavor!
Hi Kinzie! Thank you so much for trying out this pasta recipe! The lemon definitely gives it a nice and summery touch! ๐ XT
Loved this one! Used the whole lemon and it came out perfect
Hi there! So happy to hear you enjoyed this pasta! xT
Great, easy Alfredo recipe. Easily the best one Iโve ever made at home. Will definitely try it again this summer
Thank you so much Owen! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xT