Creamy Zucchini and Bacon Pasta

By Kay Chun

Creamy Zucchini and Bacon Pasta
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(313)
Notes
Read community notes

Zucchini, bacon and cheese come together to create a delightfully smoky, creamy weeknight pasta meal. Two pounds of chopped zucchini simmer in rendered bacon fat, absorbing the rich and salty-sweet flavors. You can use zucchini from your supermarket, or any combination of summer squash from the farmers’ market, like golden zucchini, crookneck or patty pan. A finish of butter and Parmesan enrich the sauce, adding lusciousness, and a squeeze of lemon brightens the dish.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4ounces bacon, sliced crosswise ¼-inch-thick
  • 2 to 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2pounds zucchini, cut into ⅓-inch dice (6 cups)
  • ½cup finely chopped white onion
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and pepper
  • 2teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1pound spaghetti
  • ½cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
  • Chopped chives or dill (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

810 calories; 35 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 96 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 1017 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and pour the bacon fat into a small heatproof measuring cup; add enough olive oil to make ¼ cup. Wipe out skillet.

  2. Step 2

    In the skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon oil over medium-high. Add half of the zucchini and half of the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender (but not mushy), about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the garlic, then transfer mixture to a small bowl.

  3. Step 3

    Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons bacon oil, zucchini, onion and garlic. When the second batch is done, return the first batch to the skillet; add 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Turn off the heat.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta water and drain.

  5. Step 5

    In the large pot, combine pasta, 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, the zucchini mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cook, stirring vigorously, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the cheese, adding more reserved pasta water for a thinner sauce, as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. Step 6

    Divide pasta among bowls. Scatter the bacon over the pasta. Top with more cheese and herbs, if using; serve warm.

Ratings

4 out of 5
313 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Joel

I use spiralized zucchini in place of half of the spaghetti. You get a lot more veggies in your dish and it mixes perfectly with the pasta. Just mix the spiralized zucchini raw with the cooked pasta when the pasta is just cooked and drained but still hot. The hot pasta provides just enough residual heat to soften the spiralized zucchini.

debra nyc

Made this using the oven to cook bacon and roast the zucchini and onions. Lovely, subtle and satisfying!

smaus

Delicious! But I didn’t think it needed that much extra butter. I also tossed some pine nuts on it for some more texture and the salty nuttiness went well with the bright zucchini and lemon

wendy

I swapped half the zucchini with delicata and it was delicious. Meat eaters in my family gave it rave reviews.

Alex

We gobbled this up! I doubled the bacon (8oz / 8 slices) and made 3/4lb pasta for a more desirable veg to pasta ratio. So good!

Warren in Kansas

A little crushed red pepper at the end didn’t hurt. Otherwise made as written. Reviews from friends and family were very positive!

Cynthia

Made this tonight with the end-of-season zucchini and garden onions and garlic; it was delicious.

pasta with bacon and zucchini

The drained crispy bacon is a delicious topping, but I found that the zucchini absorbed too much of the bacon fat, making the dish too heavy for my liking. Next time I’d use a lighter oil to sauté the veggies.

Nicole

I give this recipe 3.5 stars only because the prep time is way off. Unless you have a sous chef helping you, or a food processor, dicing 2 lbs of zucchini, chopping onions, mincing garlic, squeezing a lemon, slicing bacon, and grating Parmesan takes longer than 20 minutes. Perhaps I am slow, but plan more like an hour and half start to finish. The recipe was good, the fam ate it up!

Beth

i made as directed. next time-maybe add red pepper and even more garlic.

Dana

Really liked this one but like others said felt like the pasta-veggie ratio was off. Next time I’ll do 1/2 lb pasta. I had two ears of corn lying around so I cut those off the cob and added them too, which was good. I did feel like it needed some freshness, so next time I’ll top with a good amount of basil, dill and chives (just did chives this time). Could also double the garlic since it just kind of faded away.

Campbell

The zucchini and pasta were delicious before topping with bacon. I was using leftover bacon and didn't have any of the grease. I added some sage-heavy poultry seasoning to the oil to suggest that flavor and it worked for me.

Chanteus

Good, but I think the lemon is too much. It takes away from the smokiness of the bacon and the flavor of the zucchini. Next time, maybe a teaspoon of lemon.

SMB

I subbed the onions for leeks today and it was fantastic. Doubled the garlic. Don’t need to bother with the whole double batching thing if you have a pan with a large surface area.

Jen

I added mushroom and spinach. Needs more veggies than you think.

Nicole

This recipe was a hit with my whole family. I made it exactly as written (with two more slices of bacon...) and will absolutely make it again!

Elizabeth

This is delicious! I used half the pasta for the two of us, but all the veg. Really easy and tasty.

Ben

Personally the pasta-to-veggie ratio was way off. Next time i’ll make with about 1/2 the pasta.

Cwyo

Have always made this dish with spaghetti squash, it’s also great that way too

QUAASAM

Very nice. I used casarecce pasta. Wipe bacon pot well. Will do it again.

Dennisenyc

Added left 2 left over chicken breasts, which I shredded and added to large pot when adding cooked pasta, butter and reserved pasta water. Family loved it and great way to use leftovers.

jess

Loved it— I also added a few egg yolks at the end and did less eggplant. Highly recommend the yolks for extra creaminess of the sauce!

Private notes are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.

More From Easy Pasta Recipes

Trending on Cooking

Cooking Guides