This creamy courgette and broccoli pasta takes no more than 20 minutes to make, making it a week day winner. It’s suitable for vegetarians, delicious and good for you!
This Summery pasta dish with sauteed courgettes, broccoli, garlic herb cream cheese, zesty lemon and fresh basil will become a family favourite.
Creamy courgette (or Zucchini) pasta is such a great recipe to make in the Summer months when we’re all craving lighter, fresher flavours.
I’ve been making a version of this pasta for years and I can’t believe I’ve held out for so long on sharing the recipe. But better late than never.
I can’t get enough easy pasta recipes like this! It’s a very easy recipe that comes together so fast dinner will be on the table before you even hear the inevitable words…”What’s for dinner? I’m starving!!”
why you should make this courgette and broccoli pasta tonight
- Very quick and easy – less than 20 minutes to make!
- Suitable for vegetarians
- Inexpensive to make so it won’t stretch the budget
- Good for you – and even children won’t be able to resist courgettes and broccoli when they’re coated in a garlic cream cheese sauce with pasta!
ingredient list for creamy courgette and broccoli pasta
- courgettes/zucchini are plentiful and cheap right now, so I make this recipe a lot during this time of year. If the courgettes are very large, I cut the slices in half (see photo below.)
- olive oil for cooking the courgettes.
- fresh broccoli. I add the broccoli to the pan of pasta during the last few minutes of cooking time so it’s still retains some bite (I can’t stand overcooked broccoli!)
- dried pasta. I like to use Fusilli or Rigatoni for this recipe. Spaghetti or Linguine would also work well.
- garlic and herb cream cheese. I love to use Boursin cheese for this, but any other brand will be fine.
- Annoyingly, Boursin comes in 150G packets and you need 200g for this recipe, but I don’t see this as an issue – it never goes to waste in my house. I spread it on crackers, use it as a dip for crudites, make cucumber sandwiches with it and stuff cherry tomatoes with his beautiful, garlicky cream cheese.
- When combined with the cream cheese, Milk loosens the sauce and helps create a lovely smooth sauce.
- lemon zest and juice adds a great lift of flavour to this pasta dish . I love lemon, but if you don’t want such a strong lemon flavour, omit the zest and use the juice only. Try and use an unwaxed lemon if possible.
- I stir a few torn fresh basil leaves through the pasta before serving. You can omit this if you like.
step by step
Please keep scrolling to the end of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions. Please have a read of the notes below before making this recipe!
- Step one – cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Step two – season the courgettes/zucchini with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and cook until beginning to soften and turn golden. This will take about 8 minutes. Remove the courgettes from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
- Step three – add the broccoli to the pasta during the last few minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and broccoli, keeping a cup of the pasta water for the sauce later.
- step four – Place the cream cheese, milk and lemon zest if using in the pan the pasta was cooked in. Place the pan on a very low heat and gently warm through until the cream cheese has melted and you have what looks like the beginning of a sauce.
- step five – Stir the courgettes, pasta, broccoli and lemon juice into the pan along with a little of the reserved pasta water – I add a tablespoonful at a time – until everything is coated in a smooth, glossy sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add a little more lemon juice if needed before serving.
change it up
- Add bacon lardons – fry them until crispy before you cook the courgettes.
- Sneak in even more veg! You could throw in a couple of handfuls of frozen peas or sweetcorn along with the broccoli.
- Sprinkle the pasta with parmesan cheese before serving.
- Change the herbs – fresh dill or parsley works really well with the courgettes. Rocket or fresh spinach would also be lovely.
reheating courgette pasta
Reheat any leftover courgette pasta on the hob over a low-medium heat. You’ll need to add a little more milk to loosen the sauce.
MORE RECIPES TO USE UP COURGETTES/ZUCCHINI
- Chocolate chip zucchini muffins (vegan recipe)
- zucchini, apple and walnut bread
did you make this recipe?
I hope you loved it! Let me know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below and rate the recipe by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
Made one of the recipes? Tag me in your photos on Instagram – #sweetsavouryblog or Facebook! I love to see what you’ve been making.
Creamy Courgette and Broccoli Pasta
This creamy courgette (or zucchini) and broccoli pasta will be your new favourite way of using up courgettes! A deliciously creamy pasta dish that comes together in minutes. It will become a regular dinner!
Ingredients
- 400g pasta (I used Fusilli)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 300g courgettes, sliced into thin rounds and cut in half if they are large
- 125g broccoli, cut into small florets
- 200g cream cheese with garlic and herbs (I use Boursin but any brand will do)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- finely grated zest and juice of half a lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in lots of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Add the broccoli florets in the final 3-4 minutes of cooking time.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium high heat. Add the sliced courgettes/zucchini and cook for about 8 minutes or so, turning halfway through and seasoning with salt and pepper. When the courgettes are beginning to crisp and turn golden (but still holding their shape - you don't want them mushy), remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a cup of the starchy water (PLEASE don't forget this - it's a crucial step to achieving a silky, smooth sauce.) Turn down the hob heat as low as possible - or even turn it off if your hob is ridiculously hot like mine. The sauce just needs warmed through so you need a nice low heat.
- Place the pan you cooked the pasta in back on the hob. Place the cream cheese, milk and lemon zest in the pan and stir with a wooden spoon - remember, you're just warming the cream cheese and milk so a very low heat is important.
- When the cream cheese has melted and you have the makings of a sauce, tip in the courgettes, broccoli, pasta, the juice of half a lemon and some of the cooking water. I add a tablespoon at a time and keep going until I'm happy with the consistency - this recipe usually takes about 3 tablespoons.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add a little more lemon juice if needed. Finally, stir through some freshly torn basil, if using and serve immediately.
Notes
If you don't want a strong lemon flavour, omit the zest and use the juice only. The lemon zest does add great flavour though, so I recommend it!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 458Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 290mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 4gSugar: 12gProtein: 11g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.