One of my favorite things about cooking is how a few simple ingredients can make an ordinary evening feel just a little more… special. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
A few simple ingredients, a little bit of patience, and an ordinary evening turns into something worth showing up for. Good pasta, a seasonal veggie or two, crispy breadcrumbs... boom. You’ve got yourself a gorgeous dish that’s begging to be served straight from the pan and passed around the table.
This is one of those dishes… and we’re going to be romanticizing our zucchini.
Serves: 4
Prep & cook: 45-55 minutes (worth it)
1 lb mezzi paccheri (or your favorite short-cut pasta)
3 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated
½–¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
⅓ cup pesto of choice
Juice of ½–1 lemon, to taste
Salt, for pasta water and seasoning
Freshly cracked black pepper
Fresh basil, torn (optional)
A handful of extra zucchini rounds
Olive oil, for frying
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (made from your favorite crusty bread)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
Prep: Thinly slice the zucchini and toss it with a generous pinch of salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out some of the moisture, then pat dry with paper towels. This step is kinda optional but it will help them caramelize nicely!
Caramelize: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deeply golden, soft, and almost jammy. Stir in the grated garlic during the last 2 minutes of cooking so it becomes fragrant without browning.
Boil: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving about 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
Toast: While the pasta cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt, stirring frequently until deeply golden and crisp. Stir in the grated garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and toss with the lemon zest.
Toss: Add the cooked pasta to the zucchini with the Parmesan and about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss until glossy and creamy, adding more pasta water as needed. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the pesto and the lemon juice. For an extra silky sauce, toss in a knob of cold butter. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and more salt if needed.
Fry (Optional): Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a small skillet and fry the reserved zucchini rounds until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season lightly with salt.
Serve: Divide between bowls and top with dollops of the remaining pesto, extra Parmesan, a generous sprinkle of the lemony breadcrumbs, the crispy zucchini rounds (if using), fresh basil, and one final drizzle of good olive oil.
Want to take this over the top? Of course you do. I definitely recommend tossing in a knob of cold butter right before serving. It melts into the sauce, making everything extra silky and glossy and just delicious. It’s a tiny step that makes a big difference!
Hii I’m Jen — a full-time content creator (and mama) living in Franklin, Tennessee.
I cook a lot, host whenever I can, and care deeply about finding little moments of joy throughout the day—especially in the rhythms that feel the most ordinary.
This space is where I expand on what lights me up:
the meals, the mood, the company, the mindset…
You can expect little pieces of all of the above here, shared through weekly notes sent straight to your inbox. 💌
I’m so glad you found your way here.
xx, Jen
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