Zucchini sage pasta is one of those perfect dinners that works as a weeknight meal or dresses up for date night!
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Zucchini sage pasta has become one of my favorite warm weather meals! It’s easy to toss together but tastes like an elegant meal.
In spite of essentially being a big bowl of pasta, it doesn’t weigh you down, the perfect meal for those first few evenings when it’s warm enough to have the windows open and sit on the balcony!
The secret ingredient is fried sage. Frying sage sounds fancy but it’s crazy easy! Just put an inch of oil in your smallest pan. When a drop of water sizzles immediately, it’s hot enough. Drop a few leaves of sage in for 20-30 seconds, then scoop out with a spider or metal slotted spoon. That’s it!
Are you a zoodles fan? While I love me some zucchini noodles, they don’t scratch the same itch that pasta does. This dish gives the best of both worlds!
Cutting the zucchini into noodle shapes allows them to mix in perfectly, giving you that perfect ratio of zucchini and pasta in every bite. Getting that noodle shape is easier than you think – the handheld spiralizer is inexpensive and small. I’ve used this one for years if you’re looking for one that can handle heartier veggies like potatoes too.
I’ve given my usual proportions of pasta to zucchini here, but feel free to play with it. It’s great with a 1:1 ratio as well! Bonus points if you make homemade pasta for date night. It’s not hard, just needs a bit more time!
This can easily be vegetarian too – just skip the shrimp. I’m a sucker for seafood so usually add them, but the dish is still super flavorful without them.
Another option: give it some heat with a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Tools you’ll need: spiralizer, pot, and pan.
Zucchini Sage Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lb spaghetti
- salt to taste
- 10 sage leaves fresh
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Set a large pot to boil for pasta. Meanwhile, spiral cut the zucchini and mince the garlic.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large pan and the shrimp, 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Set the shrimp in a bowl and add another tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Saute the zucchini and cook until nearly done, 5-7 minutes. The zucchini should still have a tiny bit of crunch.
- Create a gap in the center of the pan and add another teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot, saute garlic until softened, just a minute or two. Remove from heat.
- While the zucchini is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in the smallest pan you have. You want the oil about 1 inch deep. You know it's ready when you add a tiny drop of water to the oil and it sizzles like crazy.
- When the oil is hot, drop in a sage leaf. They should fry up in 30 seconds or less. Get them out with a metal slotted spoon, spider or fork. Set out on a paper towel and allow them to dry for a minute.
- When everything is cooked, add the shrimp and pasta to the zucchini and toss together with salt and the remaining olive oil. Crumble sage leaves on top, and serve!
To finish off a warm-weather date night, start off with a hugo spritz and finish with lemon bars!
Want more vegetable-forward dinner options? I’m constantly sharing more on Pinterest, so follow me there!
