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Packed with delicate herbs, pungent garlic, crisp zucchini, and juicy tomatoes, this vegetable linguine takes just 20 minutes to make.
While I say things like, “That was the best ___ ever!” quite frequently, Alex isn’t usually quite as generous. However, we both used the phrase multiple times as we enjoyed this fresh vegetable linguine!
Packed with delicate herbs, pungent garlic, crisp zucchini, and juicy tomatoes, this is a pasta dish that really shines. It’s perfect for tomato season when produce as abundant.
Tips for making vegetable linguine
What really makes this vegetable linguine recipe is the ripe tomatoes. We bought a couple from our local food stand and they were ripe and sweet. It’s vital that you use the best quality tomatoes to let this dish really shine. We used one large yellow and one large red tomato in this recipe, but fresh cherry tomatoes would also work.
Another integral ingredient is the fresh garlic. If you’re not a garlic person, you could sauté the garlic first (as noted below), or omit it altogether (though it might lose a bit of the magic). If you choose to sauté the garlic, keep an eye on it while it cooks and turn the heat off and remove it from the pan just before it starts to brown.
While tossing the pasta with the oil and vegetables, feel free to add in a tablespoon or two of the starchy pasta water if needed to make for a looser sauce. Once you sprinkle on the cheese, it’ll melt right into the pasta (this is a standard technique for Italian pasta recipes).
Serving suggestions for vegetable linguine
Because this vegetable linguine is made with lots of fresh veggies, it’s best enjoyed right away. Leftovers keep fairly well, but we’ve found that the tomatoes make the pasta a little gooey, and the zucchini loses its bite as well. Give this vegetable linguine recipe a try it you:
- Want to easily impress a special someone
- Had a long day at work and need a quick and delicious meal to pair with a glass of wine (or frose!)
- Have an over productive tomato plant
More easy pasta recipes
Outside of this vegetable linguine, here are a few more of our favorite easy pasta recipes:
- Cacio e Pepe
- Pasta with Peas
- Pasta Primavera
- Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
- Creamy Gemelli Pasta
- Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
- Pasta Puttanesca
Dietary notes
This vegetable linguine recipe is vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta. For vegan, use purchased vegan Parmesan cheese.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe is versatile! You can use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any type of fresh tomatoes you can find. Just make sure they are in season and ripe.
No! This recipe is for fresh vegetables with pasta and Parmesan cheese.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is classic, but crumbled feta cheese, Pecorino Romano, or ricotta salata.
Vegetable Linguine with Tomatoes & Zucchini
Packed with delicate herbs, pungent garlic, crisp zucchini, and juicy tomatoes, this vegetarian linguine really shines.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably various types – we used one large red and one large yellow)
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh basil (about a handful of leaves)
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley
- 2 small zucchini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 16 ounces linguine (or spaghetti or angel hair)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook linguine until al dente.
- While the water boils and the pasta cooks, core and finely chop the tomatoes. Cut the zucchini into thin slices. Chop the basil and parsley (1 tablespoon each). Mince the garlic. (If desired, you can sauté the garlic in a bit of olive oil beforehand to make it less potent.) If not already grated, grate the cheese.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic, along with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and toss it with a bit of olive oil. Add it to the bowl of tomatoes along with the zucchini and toss well. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss again.
- Serve topped with more grated cheese and freshly ground pepper.
Notes
Inspired by Andreas Viestad in Food and Wine
Delicious!!! I didn’t have fresh herbs on hand so I used dried, still came out amazing! Felt unsure about basically raw zucchini but now I’m sold hahah.
Haha! Glad you enjoyed 😄
Alex & Sonja-
This was a delicious recipe! It’s the first one of yours I have tried and I absolutely loved it! Alex, it’s quite a step up from what we used to serve in the hospital cafeteria! Ha!
So glad you tried a recipe! It all started in a hospital basement 16 years ago…
This sounds so good. Thanks for this recipe. I never liked pasta when I ate meats. Since I no longer eat meat I crave veggie pastas. Good eating.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I think it’s going to be a staple around here this summer. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it! This was one of our first posts, but it still sticks out in my mind as one of my favorites :)
Do you cook the zucchini before adding to the pasta?
Nope! Just cut it thin and eat it raw (but warmed by the pasta).
great combo!