Orecchiette with Zucchini, Butter Sauce and Roasted Tomatoes

Orecchiette pasta served with a creamy zucchini sauce made with zucchini, garlic and butter and topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and parmigiano breadcrumbs. This dish is full of flavour and suited to summer.

Last year, we had a glut of zucchini from our allotment, so when we say we tested a lot of zucchini recipes, we mean a lot.

We mostly made pasta sauces, risotto or grilled vegetable salads and this zucchini pasta sauce was one we needed to share because it's too good.

The sauce is silky and creamy, but there's no cream involved. It's made with 4 simple ingredients, and it's blitzed in a blender to get that creamy texture.

The tomatoes are roasted at a low temperature, which gives them a good caramelised and jammy texture that is solid alongside the creamy sauce.

There are a few steps to this recipe, but nothing overly complicated, and we've included some easy shortcuts below if you're short on time. Enjoy!

Ingredient notes

• Orecchiette – you can use any small pasta shape you like if you can't find orecchiette.
• Zucchini – the zucchini we used were large (600g/1.3lbs) in total, which is around the same weight as 4 small to medium-sized zucchini.
• Butter – you can use olive oil instead of butter, but the butter gives the sauce richness and creaminess, which we love.

Tips to speed things up (quick version)

The roasted tomatoes and 'fancier' breadcrumbs are well worth making, but if it's a busy weeknight or you don't have much time, there are a few shortcuts you can make instead.

This cuts the prep and cook time down considerably.

• Roasted tomato swap – you can swap these with semi-dried (also called sun-blushed) tomatoes, which are between fresh and sun-dried tomatoes in terms of texture and taste. They're usually found in the deli section in most supermarkets (beside the marinated olives and artichokes etc). If you can't find these, then another option is to saute the cherry tomatoes in a pan until soft (about 5-10 minutes).
• Quicker breadcrumbs – to avoid getting the food processor out, you can toast the breadcrumbs until golden, then transfer them to a bowl. Once cool, mix them with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano, salt and pepper, and leave out the basil.

Prep in advance

Most parts of this recipe can be prepped in advance, such as the roasted tomatoes, the breadcrumb mixture and the sauce.

• Roasted tomatoes will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-5 days and can be reheated until hot in the oven at 180 °C/350°F.
• The breadcrumbs will keep well covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• The sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be reheated in a pan with a splash of pasta water to loosen.

More good summer pasta recipes to try

Pasta

Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables

Pasta

Sicilian Pistachio Pasta with Shrimp

Pasta

Tomato Pasta with Sardines and Breadcrumbs

Pasta

Zucchini Pesto Pasta (Fresh and good)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

For the roasted tomatoes

• 7 oz (200g) cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the sauce

• 14 oz (400g) orecchiette pasta (or another short pasta shape)
• 1.3 lbs (600g) zucchini ((2 very large or 4 small-medium))
• 4 tablespoons (50g) unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
• 1 large handful fresh basil (about 1 cup)
• 1.5 oz (40g) Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated)

For the crumb topping

• 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs (we use Mulino Bianco)
• 1 small handful fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano (fienly grated)

Equipment

• Box grater
• Food processor
• Blender (or immersion blender)
• Large pan
• Baking tray

Method

To make the slow roasted tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 120C/250F fan or 100C/210F static.

2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and put them on a baking tray. Sprinkle them with oregano, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Bake in the oven for 45-50mins. Turn the oven off and leave them in oven until you are serving to keep them warm.

To make the toasted breadcrumbs

1. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan until lightly golden. Turn off the heat and let them cool for a few minutes then add them to a food processor with fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse a few times until everything is a fine crumb.

To make the sauce

1. Grate the zucchini using the largest holes on a box grater. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.

2. Heat a large pan on a medium heat and add the butter. Once melted add the grated zucchini and sauté for 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then add the garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes until almost all the liquid has gone from the zucchini.

3. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

4. Transfer the zucchini to a blender (can also use an immersion blender) with the fresh basil, grated Parmigiano, salt and pepper and blitz until smooth and creamy. You may need to add around 1/4 cup (60ml) of reserved pasta water to help it along.

5. Transfer the sauce to a large pan. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed then keep on low until the pasta is ready.

6. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until well coated. Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Transfer to bowls and top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs, roasted tomatoes and more Parmigiano if desired and serve.

Kitchen notes

Storage the pasta will keep well for up to 2 days (orecchiette lasts longer in the fridge since it's a bit thicker, but other pastas such as penne or rigatoni will soften a lot quicker). You can also eat this cold/room temperature.