It’s happened to everyone: You’re strolling through the farmers market and see zucchini on sale for a dollar a pound. You toss the vendor a five, but when you get home you realize this is way too much zucchini. The best thing to do with your haul? Incorporate a few pounds into your pasta for dinner tonight. Loosely inspired by pasta Amatriciana, this dish starts with crisped cured pork (guanciale or pancetta, even bacon in a pinch), but swaps tomato for grated zucchini (green or yellow is best, but any variety of summer squash will work). Three pounds might sound like too much, but as the zucchini cooks down, it reduces to a manageable volume to pair with 1 lb. long pasta. No advance salting or squeezing is needed—the excess liquid in the vegetable will help coat the pasta in a glossy-chunky sauce. No guanciale? Try this vegetarian zucchini pasta that's still plenty rich thanks to a hefty pour of cream.
Read More: The 2026 Farmers Market Challenge
If you like this pasta, you may enjoy Creamy Lemon Zucchini Pasta, Zucchini Risotto, or Summer Squash and Basil Pasta.
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 6 oz. guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) or pancetta (Italian bacon), cut into ¼" pieces, and 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until crisped, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer guanciale to a plate.
Step 2
Reduce heat to low and cook 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, ¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of kosher salt in same pan, stirring often, until garlic is softened and lightly golden, 1–2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and pour in ½ cup dry white wine. Bring to a boil and cook until almost completely reduced, about 4 minutes. Add 3 lb. zucchini and/or summer squash (about 4 medium), coarsely grated, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until zucchini is softened significantly but still pale green, 15–18 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Step 3
Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. long pasta (such as spaghetti or linguine) in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
Step 4
Add guanciale, pasta, ½ cup pasta cooking liquid, 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup), and 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, to zucchini mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring and adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time as needed, until pasta is al dente, coated in sauce, and glossy, about 3 minutes. Taste pasta and season with more salt.
Step 5
Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with more red pepper flakes if desired.
