Zucchini Parmesan Pasta Breadcrumb Topping

Published on September 06, 2021 Zucchini Parmesan Pasta with fresh basil and brown butter bread crumb topping is a great pasta recipe for using up the garden zucchini. Everyone loves this easy weeknight pasta!

Easy Pasta Dinner

Pasta nights are always happy nights at our house. Our entire family loves a good pasta dinner and we are currently loving this Zucchini Parmesan Pasta. I have been making it on repeat because our garden is producing massive amounts of zucchini and yellow squash right now. I love making zucchini bread, zucchini cookies, zucchini cake, but I also love going the savory route with pasta! You can’t beat a big bowl of pasta for dinner, especially when this Zucchini Parmesan Pasta is on the menu. You guys are going to LOVE this one. It is the perfect pasta recipe to use up all of your garden squash and the brown butter breadcrumb topping will blow your mind!! It is a game changer.

Zucchini to the Dinner Rescue

At the end of the summer, we always have lots of squash from our garden. I am always looking for new ways to use it up and pasta is always a good idea. We always keep our pantry stocked with pasta so I used our favorite pasta and our garden squash to make zucchini parmesan pasta, which is a family favorite! This easy pasta dish is loaded with zucchini and yellow squash. If you only have zucchini, you can use all zucchini and same with the yellow squash, I just like the mix in this dish because I love the green and yellow colors. The pasta also has:

shallotgarlicbutterParmesan cheesebasila little lemonbrown butter breadcrumbs

Brown Butter Breadcrumbs, YES!

The brown butter breadcrumbs are a little bit of a splurge, but SO worth it. They don’t take long to make and they really make the pasta dish. They add a ton of flavor and a nice little crunch. To make the breadcrumbs, brown butter in a skillet and add garlic and panko breadcrumbs. Cook until the breadcrumbs get nice and toasty. Stir in basil, lemon zest, and salt. The breadcrumbs are going to take the zucchini parmesan pasta dish to the next level. Can you leave the breadcrumbs off? Sure, the pasta will still be delicious, but I highly recommend them:)

Tips for Making Zucchini Parmesan Pasta

I make the brown butter breadcrumbs first. I like to brown butter in a light skillet so you can tell when the butter is browning. You want to add the breadcrumbs as soon as the butter starts to turn brown. The butter will continue browning as you toast the breadcrumbs. Make sure you stir the breadcrumbs frequently so they don’t get too toasted. Set the breadcrumbs aside until the pasta is done.For the pasta, you can use penne, farfalle, fusilli, orecchiette, spaghetti…whatever you like! Really any pasta will work, use what you have on hand. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and make sure you reserve ½ cup pasta water. Don’t forget this step. You will use the pasta water to add to the pasta and vegetables. It will help create a sauce with the butter and Parmesan cheese.Make sure you use a large, deep skillet to cook the squash because you will be stirring the pasta in after it is done cooking.Top the pasta dish with the brown butter breadcrumbs before serving. You don’t have to use them all, sprinkle on the amount you desire. You can always save the rest for leftovers or for another pasta dish.

Enjoy the end of summer with this Zucchini Parmesan Pasta! It is perfect for an easy weeknight meal. You can’t go wrong with pasta, it is always a dinner winner!