Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes Recipe
Fresh, fast, and family-approved, this Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes is the perfect healthy weeknight dinner when you’re short on time and energy. Ready in about 25 minutes, it’s light yet satisfying with fresh zucchini, juicy tomatoes, tender pasta, and ground beef. A simple, comforting meal I’ve made for years — especially perfect for summer nights!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 474kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces short cut pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¼ cup onion
- 2 cans tomato sauce 8 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ cups zucchini chopped
- 1 ½ cups tomatoes chopped
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Dice the onion, and chop the zucchini and tomatoes.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.8 ounces short cut pasta
- Brown the beef and onion: While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, about 6-8 minutes. Drain any excess grease if needed, then reduce heat to medium.1 pound lean ground beef, ¼ cup onion
- Add the sauce and seasonings: Stir in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until hot and bubbly, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.2 cans tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Combine pasta and zucchini: Stir in the cooked pasta and chopped zucchini. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini begins to soften.1 ½ cups zucchini
- Add tomatoes and finish: Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook just until heated through. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time (I usually use about ¼ cup) until it reaches your desired consistency.1 ½ cups tomatoes
Notes
Eight ounces of short cut pasta is about 2 ½ cups.
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Nutritional information is approximate.
See ingredient notes and substitutions in the post above.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1/4th of the recipe | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1845mg | Potassium: 1817mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2085IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 7mg