Creamy pasta with sausage and zucchini is an easy family dinner made with goat cheese, brown butter toasted walnuts and fresh basil.
Quick and easy family dinners are good year round, but I especially appreciate them in the summer.
No one feels like slaving over a hot stove when its beautiful and sunny out!
That's why this sausage, zucchini pasta skillet is one of my favorite summer dinner recipes.
The zucchini and onions are sauteed in browned butter, tossed with pasta, then topped with goat cheese, toasted walnuts and fresh basil.
Talk about an easy dinner, this creamy pasta with sausage and zucchini is made in one pot for easy clean up (holla!).
Another plus is it's good hot or cold!
Pregnant me is allll about the easy dinners lately (and avoiding turning on the oven!) so this recipe was inspired by ease and not feeling like turning on the oven in the summer heat ;).
Ingredients for creamy pasta with sausage and zucchini:
- ground Italian sausage (I like mild but you could use spicy)
- butter
- zucchini (or a mixture of summer squash)
- yellow onion
- garlic
- dried basil
- salt
- pepper
- lemon juice
- cooked pasta + reserved pasta water
- goat cheese crumbles
- toasted walnuts
- fresh basil
How to make sausage zucchini pasta:
- Cook pasta in a medium-large pot until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining, set aside.
- Place pot back on the stove and add ground Italian sausage over medium-high heat. Cook, as you break up with a wooden spoon until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Return pan back to stove over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Continue cooking until it starts to foam and turns brown.
- Once browned with a nutty aroma add sliced zucchini, onions and garlic. Stir and saute until zucchini and onions are softened.
- Stir in dried basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir.
- Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Stir in reserved pasta water.
- Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese, toasted walnuts and fresh basil.
The creaminess in the sausage zucchini pasta skillet comes from the reserved pasta water and goat cheese.
I like adding the goat cheese when the pasta is still warm so that it melts in to create that cream sauce.
You can always add more goat cheese if you're a cheese lover like me :).
If you don't love the idea of goat cheese you can use fresh mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
For more easy pasta recipes try:
- Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Pasta with Spinach
- Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
- Lemony Pea Orecchiette with Prosciutto & Arugula
Creamy Pasta with Sausage and Zucchini
Creamy pasta with sausage and zucchini is an easy family dinner made with goat cheese, brown butter toasted walnuts and fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
- 1 stick butter
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced (or summer squash)
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large saucepan until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining. Toss lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Place pan back on the stove over medium-high heat and add ground Italian sausage. Cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Return pan back to stove over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Continue cooking until it starts to foam and turns brown. It should have a nutty aroma.
- Once butter is browned add sliced zucchini and onions. Cook 8-10 minutes or until onions and zucchini are softened. Add in garlic and cook additional minute.
- Add back the cooked sausage then stir in dried basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice.
- Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Stir in ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. If pasta is dry, add additional ¼ cup of water.
- Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese, toasted walnuts and fresh basil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 642Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 753mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 25g
Glenn
We made this last night and it was delicious. Really nice and easy weeknight dish with good flavor.
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Thank you Glenn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂