the zucchini pasta I can't stop making!!!

If you have zucchini coming out of your ears right now, this one is for you!

The garden, the farm stand, the neighbor who keeps leaving them on your porch. I love it and I am also fully out of zucchini bread ideas, nor do I even really like zucchini bread TBH! So here is what I have been making instead, on repeat for weeks.

No hovering over the stove! For most of my summer recipes, I love to just throw zucchini onto a sheet pan and let it caramelize in the oven while I do other things. It goes on a sheet pan at 425°F and roasts until the edges are jammy and golden and some pieces have those gorgeous almost-burnt spots. That caramelization gives it a savory, almost meaty depth, and when it lands in a creamy miso Alfredo with Parmesan, garlic, a hit of coconut aminos, lemon zest, and basil, it is honestly restaurant food.

A technical explanation on why roasting is better: I know most of the caramelized zucchini recipes going around right now have you standing at the stove with a skillet. Here is the technical reason on why I choose to roast instead. A skillet holds maybe a third of what you need at a time, so you either crowd the pan and watch the zucchini steam itself into mush, or you cook it in three batches while everything else waits. Zucchini is more than 90% water, and the entire game is getting that water out fast enough that the sugars can brown instead of boil. A sheet pan in a hot oven does that better than a skillet can, because you get the whole surface in contact with the heat at once and dry air pulling moisture off the top. It is also completely hands-off. You flip once, halfway, and that is it. No hovering, no stirring, no one pan going cold while you finish another. It comes out evenly golden every single time, which is not something I can promise you about the stovetop version.

Two things I want you to remember when you make it: First, taste before you add any salt at the end. Between the miso, the coconut aminos, the Parm, and the salty pasta water, this dish is already doing a LOT. Second, keep the sauce gentle once the cheese goes in. No boiling. Low and slow is what keeps it silky instead of grainy.

The full recipe is free on the site, right here.

Below, for The Regulars, is the grocery list and my full make-ahead prep plan. This is the part that turns it into a true weeknight dinner, because you can roast every last piece of zucchini a day (or three) ahead and just toss it in right before plating. This prep timeline is also great for hosting too!! This is such a showstopper for a crowd. Pair it with a grilled chicken breast with balsamic glaze and …chef’s kiss !!!