This beautiful but simple Sungold Tomato & Zucchini Pasta dish is a distant cousin to Spaghetti alla Nerano, but with punchy flavor from sungold tomatoes, gentle acid from the white wine and a touch of cream to accent the melty zucchini. The dish comes together in minutes, can easily be made plant-based (I actually prefer it that way!) and it’s one of the most comforting summer pasta recipes that I like to whip up for an easy dinner.
If you are looking for a quick meal that really captures an end-of-summer, lazy-dinner feeling, this zucchini dish is the one for you. Sungolds add a round, sweet flavor to the sauce, while basil brightens it up, and a touch of cream or coconut milk makes it a perfectly creamy consistency. It’s easy, fast and one of my favorite things to make after hauling one too many zucchini home from the farmers’ market!
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What’s unique about sungold tomatoes?
Sungold tomatoes are a variety of cherry tomatoes that are particularly tangy, sweet and citrusy. These little orange tomato miracles are plentiful in the summer months, making them the perfect seasonal staple. Sungolds are extremely versatile and impossible to mess up! The skin breaks easily while cooking, allowing for all of that sweet, acidic tomato juice to melt into the dish. That’s why this easy sungold pasta recipe is the perfect go-to dinner when you want to put in minimal effort yet end up with an incredibly flavorful meal.
Ingredients you will need for this Sungold Tomato and Zucchini Pasta
Summer produce is the star of the show in this recipe! It seems like we all have too many tomatoes and zucchinis on our hands this time of year, so might as well pair them in this perfectly simple pasta recipe. Here’s everything you’ll need for this easy dinner!
- 2 medium zucchini or summer squash
- 1-pint sungold tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 8 ounces pasta shape of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry, unoaked white wine
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese optional, for topping
- Freshly ground black pepper optional, for serving
How to time everything perfectly for this dish
You’ll be surprised at how easy this dinner truly is, but let me give you some tips on how to make it even easier for yourself! If everything is timed well, this dinner will simply come together on its own. Here’s how:
Halve and slice the zucchini, tomatoes and garlic to start, then put a large pot of water on one burner and a high-sided sauté pan on a burner next to it. Bring the large pot of water to a boil and set the pan on medium heat, then add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.
While you wait for the water to boil, cook the zucchini and tomatoes in the pan with a few generous pinches of salt. Stir occasionally, for 8-9 minutes or until the tomatoes burst and the zucchini is melty.
During that time, the water will start to boil. Generously salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Boil for 6-7 minutes or until al dente.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan with the zucchini and cook another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir, letting the wine simmer and reduce for another 3-4 minutes. Taste and season with salt as preferred.
Tear the fresh basil into the pan and give a few stirs.
Everything is now ready to be combined! Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta into the pan, add a splash of the cream or coconut milk and a splash of salted pasta water. Stir to combine, alternating adding more pours of cream and pasta water until you get your desired level of creaminess.
Portion into four bowls and top with parmesan cheese and black pepper, if preferred. Enjoy!
FAQ
Yes! Regular cherry tomatoes will work great in this pasta recipe, but the skins of the tomatoes might take longer to break. I suggest giving them a little mash when the skins start to wrinkle in the pan.
Any pasta shape will work for this dish because there isn’t a thick sauce. I tend to lean toward any pasta shape that you would use for pasta salad or for something like buttered noodles. I also recommend using a shape that is size comparable to the zucchini and tomato slices so that you can get the perfect bite every time!
No need to separate ingredients for this recipe! Store everything together in an airtight container in the fridge and this dish will last about 2-3 days.
Looking for similar recipes?
We love sungolds on this blog. Here’s the proof!
And that’s everything for this Sungold Tomato & Zucchini Pasta recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Sungold Tomato & Zucchini Pasta
Equipment
- 1 high sided sauté pan
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini or summer squash
- 1 pint sungold tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 8 ounces pasta shape of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry, unoaked white wine
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese optional, for topping
- Freshly ground black pepper optional, for serving
Instructions
- Halve and slice the zucchini into half-moon pieces, as thin as possible. Halve the sungold tomatoes and thinly slice the garlic.
- Place a large pot of water on one burner and a high-sided sauté pan on a burner next to it. Bring the large pot of water to a boil. Set the pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the zucchini and sungold tomatoes to the pan and season with a few generous pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-9 minutes or until the tomatoes are burst and the zucchini is melty.
- Generously salt the boiling water and add in the pasta. Boil for 6-7 minutes or until al dente.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan with the zucchini and cook another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir, letting the wine simmer and reduce for another 3-4 minutes. Taste and season with salt as preferred.
- Tear the fresh basil into the pan and give a few stirs.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta into the pan, add a splash of the cream or coconut milk and a splash of salted pasta water. Stir to combine, alternating adding more pours of cream and pasta water until you get your desired level of creaminess.
- Portion into four bowls and top with parmesan cheese and black pepper, if preferred.
Thnx for share.. Very best post. Ty.
This recipe was so simple and so tasty! I love the freshness of the zucchini and the way that the tomatoes break down in the sauce. Make it even better with homemade pasta and you’ve got a fabulous meal!
So simple yet delicious. I feel like a high class Italian chef after tasting how amazing this dish is. *chefs kiss* thank you for the simple, easy to follow steps and recipe, Justine!!
I’m so thrilled you liked it! It’s one of my absolute favorites on here 🙂
Sooooo good!! I’ve made it twice in the past week. So simple, full of nutrients and delicious!
Just made it for dinner with the sungold tomatoes from my garden. So delicious! I will definitely be cooking this again as more tomatoes ripen!
I love this and am so jealous of your garden! Happy tomato season!
This recipe was DELICIOUS. It’s the perfect summer recipe and super easy.
I’m so happy you liked it! It’s one of my absolute favorites, so thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice review <3
I picked up basil, summer squash, and sungold tomatoes at the farmers market today and, while thinking about how to use them, I vaguely remembered you’d posted a summer squash pasta on Instagram recently. I laughed when I realized I picked up the exact ingredients you used. I don’t drink / cook with wine so I left it out and added a squeeze of lemon after serving for the acidity. It was actually perfect. I realized while cooking that it needed and could take a lot of salt, and I wound up using half a can of coconut milk. It was hard to stop eating this. Thank you for posting!!!
Great flavour even though it’s both quick and easy. Thanks Justine!
Delicious! This was a huge hit for our family and will be a summer staple from now on. Might had a splash of lemon juice and a bit more red pepper flakes for our taste, but otherwise perfect — 5 stars!