This fettuccini in a creamy zucchini sauce is filled with delicious flavor and a nice simple tasty meal the whole family can enjoy. It takes little time to prep and can be on your dinner table in under 30 minutes.
This tasty almost "one-pot" meal might be my new favorite and a great way to get some greens in! Fettuccini in a creamy zucchini sauce is a simple comfort kind of meal that the whole family is sure to enjoy. Once you have the pasta cooked then this dish comes together easily in a skillet on the stove. Simple ingredients make this dish a great option when you don't have time to run to the grocery store. Chances are you have everything you need already to make this dish.
I'm not one to eat raw vegetables, and never have been but when you blend them up and make a creamy sauce from them now that is speaking my love language. Pasta sauce and soup recipes are a great way to get some vegetables in, especially for those picky kids. 9 times out of 10 you won't even taste the vegetables, take this from someone who is very picky haha! This was a nice hearty delicious meal that paired well with a salad, caesar for me! The recipe serves 4 and takes under 30 minutes to make. If you are a WW member and whole wheat pasta is a 0-point food for you then be sure to use whole wheat pasta for the lowest point count on this recipe.
Ingredients used
- Fettuccini
- Zucchini
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Garlic
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
Before you start making the creamy zucchini sauce, add the fettucini noodles to boiling water and cook according to the package. If you don't have fettucini noodles no problem, any pasta noodles will work in this dish. Drain the pasta noodles and set aside.
Dice the zucchini into small pieces, they don't have to be tiny pieces as it all gets blended in the food processor. Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the minced garlic. You can use fresh garlic too if you'd like. Sautee the garlic for a few minutes then add in the diced zucchini. cook the zucchini until it is soft, about 8-10 minutes.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth and stir gently, be sure to get any pieces that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. You can use vegetable broth if you'd like or maybe you make homemade broth you prefer to use.
Transfer the sauce mix to a blender or food processor. Blend on high for a few minutes until it is a creamy texture and there are no big pieces of zucchini visible. You can use an immersion blender too, I prefer to transfer it to my food processor.
Use a spatula to gather all the sauce that is on the sides of the blender so none goes to waste. Then transfer the sauce back to the skillet.
Cook the sauce over medium-low heat. Add in the cream and parmesan cheese, stirring lightly but often until the cheese has melted and the cream is mixed in. Add in salt & pepper to taste.
Place the cooked fettuccini noodles in the pan and toss lightly into the creamy sauce.
Let simmer over medium to low heat for 5-8 minutes to let the noodles warm up, then serve immediately.
What type of cream do you use?
I typically buy table cream like this one, I will use the light 5% cream in recipes to lighten it up but you can use heavier cream if you are not worried about adding extra calories or WW points to the recipe. The 5% cream works just as well as heavier cream in this recipe. You will still have a nice creamy sauce.
Can I use a different pasta other than fettuccini?
Absolutely! Any pasta noodle will work well with this creamy sauce, if you don't have fettuccini on hand just use what noodles you do have.
Will another type of shredded cheese work in this recipe?
While I am personally a fan of parmesan cheese in this recipe, another kind will work just as well.
I like the flavor of parmesan when you use it for a creamy sauce, but if your preference is for another kind then go for it. Mozzarella, cheddar, and asiago even, they all work. Just be sure to use shredded parmesan when you are making the sauce and not grated. You can add grated parmesan after it is cooked.
To help lower the calories and WW points overall I typically look for reduced-fat shredded cheese. Most local grocery stores will carry shredded cheese that is reduced-fat.
Can I add in other vegetables?
Yes! Although this dish is called "creamy zucchini" you are welcome to throw in some other vegetables. Dice them and add them when you saute the zucchini. If you are bulking up the vegetable amount though you will want to add in more broth so the sauce is not too thick.
Can I add some meat or poultry to this dish?
Yes! If you want to add some protein to this dish by all means do so. To keep things easy you could get a rotisserie chicken and cut up pieces to add to the sauce. Sausage would be a delicious addition to this recipe. Cut cooked sausage into pieces and add to the sauce once you add in the pasta. Any leftover meat you have in the fridge can be added to this dish to bulk up the protein.
Storing & reheating..
Place any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days. To reheat you can add it to the skillet over medium heat and add in a little broth or cream so it will be just as creamy as when you first made it.
You can freeze leftovers, simply let dethaw before reheating. You can also make a large batch of the sauce only, double or triple the recipe, and freeze the sauce for easy meal nights.
Fettuccini in a creamy zucchini sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccini *weighed uncooked, about 225g
- 3 cups zucchini, diced
- 2 tablespoon light butter
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup cream *I used 5% half & half
- ¾ cup reduced-fat shredded parmesan cheese
- Pinch of salt & pepper
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and cook the fettuccini noodles according to the package.
- Dice the zucchini then heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Melt butter and add in garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
- Add in the diced zucchini and cook until the zucchini is soft, about 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce mix to a blender and blend on high for 2 minutes, until the sauce is creamy and there are no chunks of zucchini.
- Pour the sauce back into the skillet. Heat over medium-low, add in the chicken broth, and cream. Stir lightly but often. Then add in the fettuccini noodles and gently stir. Add some salt & pepper to taste. Let cook for 5-8 minutes until the noodles are nice and hot, serve immediately. This recipe makes 4- 1 cup servings.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for some other simple and delicious pasta recipes? Try my chicken parmesan spaghetti bake or my Turkey sausage penne in a creamy tomato sauce.
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