This delicious Jamie Oliver zucchini pasta is a creamy and quick dish, perfect for a busy weeknight. With simple ingredients like zucchini, penne, and bacon, it’s a comforting, flavorful meal that’s easy to make. The rich, silky carbonara sauce brings everything together for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients Needed
- 6 medium green and yellow zucchini
- 500g (1 lb) penne
- 4 large eggs
- 100ml (3.4 oz) single cream
- 1 small handful of Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- 6 slices of back bacon
- ½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15g)
- Optional: a few courgette flowers
How To Make Zucchini Pasta
- Boil the Pasta: Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the penne and cook according to the packet instructions.
- Prepare the Zucchini: Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthways. Remove the fluffy middle bits and slice them into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can be sliced finely.
- Make the Carbonara Sauce: Separate the eggs, placing the yolks into a bowl (save the whites for another recipe). Add the cream and half of the Parmesan cheese, and mix with a fork. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then set aside.
- Cook the Bacon and Zucchini: Heat a large frying pan with a splash of olive oil. Cut the back bacon into chunky lardons and fry until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices, 2 big pinches of black pepper, and the chopped thyme leaves (reserve any flowers). Stir to coat the zucchini with the bacon-flavored oil and cook until golden and slightly softened.
- Combine the Pasta and Sauce: Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately toss the pasta into the pan with the zucchini, bacon, and flavors. Remove from heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and the creamy egg mixture. Stir quickly to combine (do not cook further, or the eggs will scramble).
- Finish the Dish: Grate the remaining Parmesan into the pasta and add more cooking water if needed to achieve a silky, shiny sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve: If using courgette flowers, tear them over the top. Serve immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.
Recipe Tips
- Work quickly when adding the sauce: After draining the pasta, toss it into the pan right away with the zucchini and bacon to avoid scrambling the eggs in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water: Always save a bit of the pasta cooking water. It helps make the sauce smoother and gives it the perfect consistency.
- Don’t overcook the zucchini: You want the zucchini to soften and turn golden, but avoid cooking it too long, or it’ll lose its texture.
- Adjust seasoning at the end: Taste the dish before serving and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt or extra Parmesan for the best flavor.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover zucchini pasta cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Heat the pasta in a large frying pan over low heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add a splash of water or extra cream to loosen the sauce and stir occasionally until warmed through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1 cup or 238 grams)
- Calories: 459
- Total Fat: 14.3g
- Saturated Fat: 5.4g
- Total Carbohydrate: 66g
- Dietary Fiber: 4.2g
- Sugars: 6.5g
- Protein: 20.4g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Meatball Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Courgette Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Butternut Squash Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Sausage Fennel Pasta
Jamie Oliver Zucchini Pasta
Description
This delicious Jamie Oliver zucchini pasta is a creamy and quick dish, perfect for a busy weeknight. With simple ingredients like zucchini, penne, and bacon, it’s a comforting, flavorful meal that’s easy to make. The rich, silky carbonara sauce brings everything together for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Boil the Pasta: Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the penne and cook according to the packet instructions.
- Prepare the Zucchini: Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthways. Remove the fluffy middle bits and slice them into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can be sliced finely.
- Make the Carbonara Sauce: Separate the eggs, placing the yolks into a bowl (save the whites for another recipe). Add the cream and half of the Parmesan cheese, and mix with a fork. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then set aside.
- Cook the Bacon and Zucchini: Heat a large frying pan with a splash of olive oil. Cut the back bacon into chunky lardons and fry until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices, 2 big pinches of black pepper, and the chopped thyme leaves (reserve any flowers). Stir to coat the zucchini with the bacon-flavored oil and cook until golden and slightly softened.
- Combine the Pasta and Sauce: Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately toss the pasta into the pan with the zucchini, bacon, and flavors. Remove from heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and the creamy egg mixture. Stir quickly to combine (do not cook further, or the eggs will scramble).
- Finish the Dish: Grate the remaining Parmesan into the pasta and add more cooking water if needed to achieve a silky, shiny sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve: If using courgette flowers, tear them over the top. Serve immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.
Notes
- Work quickly when adding the sauce: After draining the pasta, toss it into the pan right away with the zucchini and bacon to avoid scrambling the eggs in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water: Always save a bit of the pasta cooking water. It helps make the sauce smoother and gives it the perfect consistency
- Don’t overcook the zucchini: You want the zucchini to soften and turn golden, but avoid cooking it too long, or it’ll lose its texture.
- Adjust seasoning at the end: Taste the dish before serving and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt or extra Parmesan for the best flavor.
Jamie Oliver Zucchini Pasta