Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Zucchini pasta with tomato cream sauce
Zucchini noodles with tomato cream sauce make a soft, saucy bowl to curl your fork into. The tomato keeps a little brightness under the cream, with Parmesan welcome over the top.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Spiralize before cooking
Make the zucchini noodles first and set them aside while you start the tomato sauce.
2. Watch the onion and garlic
Saute them over medium heat in olive oil, taking care not to let them burn before adding tomatoes.
3. Add cream off the heat first
Remove the pan from heat to stir in zucchini and cream, then return to a reduced simmer.
Get to know the ingredients
Zucchini noodles
Spiralize the medium zucchini before starting the sauce so the strands are ready for the final simmer.
Tomato choice
Canned diced tomatoes or the listed pasta sauce are both allowed for the sauce's initial boiling stage.
Optional dried basil
Include dried basil if using, adding it with the tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper before the brief boil.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Zucchini pasta with tomato cream sauce
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Serve hot with Parmesan
Finish simmering once the zucchini is soft and tender, then serve hot with shredded Parmesan over the top.
A little more help as you go
Tomato sauce cooks first
Give the tomato and seasoning mixture its brief boil before adding zucchini noodles and cream.
Keep the final heat lower
The zucchini finishes at a reduced simmer after the sauce has had its initial boiling stage.
A few questions you might have
Do I boil zucchini noodles separately?
They go directly into the tomato sauce with the cream for the short final simmer until tender.
Can I use pasta sauce instead of canned tomatoes?
Yes, the listed pasta sauce is included as an alternative, added with the herbs and seasonings.
When does the oregano go in?
Add it to the sauteed onion and garlic with tomatoes, optional basil, salt and pepper before boiling.
Does the Parmesan melt into the saucepan?
The serving direction adds shredded Parmesan over the hot finished zucchini pasta, rather than stirring it into the sauce.
How do I judge when the zucchini is done?
Let it simmer in the sauce until soft and tender, following the short final cooking stage in the directions.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: gimmedelicious.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
