Creamy Courgette and Pancetta Pasta Without Cream
A super creamy courgette pasta without cream, my courgette pasta with pancetta is simple to prepare, quick to make and is full of flavour. A comforting pasta dish with a thick sauce that’s so easy to make.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
BEGINNER
Prep Time:
20 MINUTES
Cook Time:
30 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
A Simple Dish – There aren’t any complicated steps or hard to find ingredients in this recipe.
Make Ahead – You can freeze the creamy zucchini pasta sauce and use when you need to, making it one of those easy dinners you can choose for busy days.
Quick To Prepare – You don’t need a lot of effort to get this on the dinner table.
Courgettes can be used in a surprising amount of ways. From Courgette and Lemon Cake to Courgette Soup.
My delicious green Courgette pasta is an easy recipe to make, with only a few simple ingredients but it’s packed plenty of flavour. Perfect for Zucchini season during the summer months at the time of year that they grow in abundance, but also comforting and filling enough for colder months too!
As well as no cream, there is also no need to add any parmesan cheese to this easy dinner recipe (unless you want a sprinkling on top to serve). We get all the creaminess of the sauce by adding in a secret ingredient; Pasta Water! With it’s starchy content, adding pasta water from cooked pasta, is a great way to thicken up the courgette and pancetta sauce without anything else needed.
You can also make this sauce ahead and freeze it. Making it a great dinner recipe for meal prep, when you are looking for a quick mid-week meal without any fuss.
And if you love pasta recipes, check out this Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and my delicious Bacon and Tomato pasta recipe next!
Check Out More Pasta Recipes:
Cheese Fondue Pasta – A great way to use up leftover cheese. With a crunchy topping.
Smoked Salmon Pasta – A simple to make recipe, that is packed with flavour.
Roasted Garlic Pasta – If you roast the garlic ahead of time this dish becomes very quick to make.
Equipment Needed:
- Large Saucepan: Use a saucepan that is big enough to fit the pasta and cover it with water.
- Large Frying Pan: To cook the courgettes, pancetta, and prepare the sauce. It’s a good idea to choose a pan with enough surface area to sauté the ingredients without overcrowding.
- Food Processor/Blender: To make the creamy courgette sauce.
- Sharp Knife and Chopping Board: For prepping the ingredients.
- Wooden Spoon/Ladle: For stirring and transferring ingredients while cooking.
- Peeler: If necessary for peeling courgettes before cubing, particularly if they’re larger or have tough skin.
- Strainer/Colander: To drain the cooked pasta before adding it to the sauce.
Ingredients:
- Dried Pasta: You can choose and type of pasta you like. Go for long pasta, like linguine or spaghetti or choose a short pasta like fusilli, rigatoni or trofie. Whichever suits your preference. Both egg pasta and durum wheat pasta will work just fine too!
- Pancetta: We used an unsmoked version in this pasta, but you can also choose a smoked version for stronger flavour.
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the garlic, courgettes, and pancetta. Use a mild cooking olive oil.
- Green Courgettes (Zucchini): Use small ones and there’s no need to peel or deseed. If you have bigger ones that you want to use up, I recommend peeling them first and not using the middle part where the seeds grow.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves: Whole garlic cloves infuse the olive oil with their flavour when briefly browned. Removed before blending to avoid overpowering the sauce. There is no need for minced garlic, simply peel and add in whole.
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Seasonings used throughout the recipe to enhance the flavours of the dish. They’re added to the courgettes, pancetta, pasta water, and final seasoning of the completed dish.
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
- Pancetta: Substitute with bacon cubes if pancetta isn’t available.
- Olive Oil: Any neutral cooking oil like vegetable or canola oil can replace olive oil. Butter can also be used for a richer taste.
- Green Courgettes (Zucchini): Yellow squash or other summer squashes can substitute for green courgettes, but of course, the colour of the dish will change.
Additions:
- Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano can be sprinkled on top before serving for extra richness. You could even stir in some cream cheese if you want a pasta sauce that’s extra cheesy.
- Chili Flakes: For a bit of spice, add a pinch of chilli flakes while cooking the courgettes and pancetta.
Smart Shortcuts:
In a rush and need to take some shortcuts with this recipe? Here’s some ideas:
Fresh Pasta – Fresh pasta cooks much quicker than dried, so if you’re looking to save a bit of cooking time, this will help you.
Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Courgette and Pancetta Pasta
Prep-Ahead Time Saving Tips for Courgette and Pancetta Pasta
Planning ahead makes this recipe even faster! Here are some ways to streamline your prep:
TOTAL TIME SAVED:
20 MINUTES
Pre-make the Sauce (Save 20 minutes): The courgette sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the cooking time suggested on the pasta packet. Test the pasta a minute before the indicated time for a slightly firm texture.
It’s best served immediately after preparation to retain the freshness and flavours. However, you can prepare the sauce in advance and reheat it gently before mixing it with freshly cooked pasta.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Al-Dente Pasta: The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce, so cook it according to the packet instructions for “al-dente”.
- Using Larger Courgettes: Remove the seeds and skin from larger courgettes before use.
Storage
- Storage: This dish is best enjoyed fresh and immediately after preparation. If you have leftovers, store the sauce separately from the pasta in airtight containers. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Freezing Sauce (Without Pasta): To freeze the sauce, place it in a freezer-safe container, leaving some space for expansion, and store it for up to 2 months. Label the container with the date to keep track of its freshness.
- sing Frozen Sauce: To use frozen sauce, you can either defrost it in the fridge overnight or gently reheat it straight from frozen. Add a little more water from the pasta if it goes dry.
Creamy Courgette Pasta with Pancetta And No Cream
Ingredients
- 500 g Dried Pasta
- 150 g Pancetta
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 650 g Green Courgettes
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the courgettes by slicing them into cubes. If you are using large or overgrown courgettes, peel and remove the seeds first. Set aside.
- Slice the pancetta into small cubes.
- Begin to heat a large saucepan of water to cook the pasta.
- In a large frying pan, add the olive oil and heat over a medium heat.
- Peel and add the garlic cloves whole, brown it briefly to flavour the oil.
- Add the cubed courgettes and pancetta. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Fry over a medium/high heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally for even cooking.
- Remove a large spoonful of the courgettes and pancetta and set aside for later. Remove the garlic cloves from the mixture and discard.
- Generously season the pasta water with salt and once it has reached a boil, add the pasta, cooking until al-dente according to the packet instructions.
- Place the cooked courgette and pancetta into a food processor and add in a couple of ladles of starchy pasta water.
- Blend the mixture until it turns vibrant green and smooth. Return the sauce to the frying pan.
- Once the pasta has cooked, drain well and add to the frying pan, heat the mixture briefly, stirring the pasta into the sauce, coating evenly.
- Serve immediately while hot with a sprinkling of the retained courgette and pancetta cubes for decoration.
