Lemon Zucchini Pasta with Capers and Chickpeas

This dairy-free lemon zucchini pasta is an easy summer dinner you can make in 30 minutes.

I gotta admit: for a long time, I was pretty anti-zucchini. I found it to be watery, bland, and unpleasantly textured. I didn’t see how it could even begin to compete with other summer vegetables, like tomatoes or eggplant, which I’ve always found infinitely more exciting.

But last summer, when on a whim I combined basic pan-fried zucchini with a caper relish, I finally understood what zucchini needs to go from blah to wow: to be properly seared, and to be paired with acidic, briny flavors.

You see, zucchini (a.k.a. courgette, for my friends across the pond) becomes quite sweet when cooked, so serving it with something like lemon and capers balances it out.

I decided to turn that zucchini side dish into a complete meal by bulking it up with pasta and chickpeas. If you’re a fan of tangy, briny, herby flavors, you are going to love this saucy lemon zucchini pasta. It’s an easy but impressive weeknight meal you can make in just 30 minutes.

What to Expect From This Recipe

• It’s super easy. While your pasta water comes to a boil, you sauté zucchini and make a simple tomato-less sauce, all in one pan.
• Bright, fresh flavors. The tangy lemon and briny capers are inspired by Italian seaside cooking. Perfect for summer!

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Zucchini (Courgette): Look for sturdy, evenly-colored zucchini without bruising or mushy spots. 
• Pasta: Campanelle is uniquely suited to this dish because it’s similar in size to the zucchini pieces, and some of the chickpeas get trapped in the pasta layers. If you can’t find it, use another short pasta, like casarecce, gemelli, orecchiette, or shells.
• Dry White Wine: Forms the foundation of this light pasta sauce. Go for something bright, like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chenin blanc.
• Capers: Their salty, pickled flavor complements sweet zucchini perfectly.
• Parsley: Adds an herby freshness to the sauce. Do not substitute with dried parsley.
• Lemon: Brightens all the other flavors.
• Nutritional Yeast: Adds a subtle “cheesy” note to this dairy-free pasta.

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Pasta

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Sauté the Zucchini

Heat olive oil in a large high-sided skillet (or a Dutch oven – you want a vessel large enough to hold all the pasta later). Add the zucchini in a single layer and cook until it’s deeply golden on the bottom. Then flip and brown the other side. Do not stir the zucchini during cooking – only flip it once.

Pro Tip: Be sure to use medium-high heat. Because zucchini has a high water content, it needs strong heat in order to brown. Otherwise, it’ll just get mushy. 

Step 2: Prep the Rest of the Sauce

Remove the zucchini from the pan and set aside. Add chickpeas, garlic, and chili flakes to the pan, and cook for a minute. Then add the wine and simmer for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol.

Meanwhile, prep and measure all the other ingredients so they’re ready to go. Once the pasta arrives in the skillet, everything needs to move quickly.

Step 3: Finish the Pasta

Boil the pasta according to package directions until it’s almost al dente. Scoop out a bit of pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add the zucchini back in, along with all the remaining ingredients and the reserved pasta water. 

Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the pasta is al dente. 

Cooking Tips

• The success of this dish depends largely on how you cook the zucchini. Make sure to cook it over medium-high heat so it browns quickly and thoroughly, and do not move it during cooking – it needs to make prolonged contact with the pan.
• Do not overcook the pasta. Al dente (i.e. when there’s still some firmness in the center of the noodle) is always better than soft, mushy pasta.
• Season to taste. While I love my food extra lemony, you may find the lemon juice overpowering. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, taste the pasta, then add another tablespoon if you’d like a punchier flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Like most pastas, this vegan zucchini pasta is best served immediately. If you’d like to add a side dish, I recommend my cashew kale caesar salad or purple cabbage slaw. 

More Ways with Zucchini…

• Pan-Fried Zucchini with Caper Relish
• Zucchini Tofu Curry
• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
• Zucchini “Poke” Bowl

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

The Full Recipe