Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta Alfredo.

This bowl of Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta Alfredo is becoming one of our favorite summer pasta dishes. I took a classic pasta recipe and updated it with a light yet creamy caramelized onion sauce, summer zucchini, and fresh lemon and basil. Every twirl of pasta has delicious summertime flavors that melt in your mouth. It’s a creamy bowl of lighter pasta Alfredo that comes together in under an hour. Perfect for warm summer nights!

Summer solstice is on Thursday, and you all, I’m so ready for it! In my mind, it’s been summer since June 1st, but now that it’s really official – according to the calendar, we can break out all of our best summer dishes and start utilizing the amazing produce that summer has to offer.

Of course, zucchini is one of the summer vegetables that seems to be most abundant from June through September. I love to cook and bake with zucchini. I use it in salads, pasta, rice bowls, and even mixed into our summer cakes and muffins!

It is such a versatile ingredient!

The other week, my brother sent me this pasta video featuring a caramelized onion sauce. Honestly, it was too heavy and intense for me, especially for summer. But I did love the idea of incorporating a slowly caramelized onion into a creamy summer Alfredo sauce.

I wanted this pasta to feel cozy, taste delicious, and still be light. The addition of lemon and basil helps to keep this Alfredo feeling fresh and summery. It turned out so delicious!

These are the details

Step 1: cook the pasta

Boil your favorite pasta cut. For this Alfredo sauce, I love some longer cuts of pasta, such as fettuccini or linguine.

I used Mafaldine Italian Pasta di Gragnano, which is always fun! 

Step 2: cook the lemon

Next, while the pasta cooks, caramelize slices of lemon in butter. Then chop the lemon slices and toss them with lots and lots of fresh basil.

Save the mix for topping the pasta. You can eat the lemon, rind and all! When the lemon is cooked, the bitterness is removed, and it’s delish.

Step 3: make the sauce

Now, start caramelizing the onion with some butter. Once the onion is caramelized, add it to the zucchini.

Allow the zucchini to cook until it turns a pretty golden color. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and a generous pour of heavy cream. Simmer the sauce until it thickens.

Step 4: finish this up!

Add so much parmesan cheese, then toss in the pasta.

At this point, plate the pasta, sauce, and zucchini. Then top with that reserved lemony basil mixture from step 2. And you can never go wrong with extra parmesan cheese, so add some more!

When you twirl the warm, buttery lemon pasta into the creamy Alfredo sauce, it instantly melts in your mouth, along with the buttery zucchini. And the onion adds just the perfect amount of uniqueness to the sauce. It’s not intense, just delicious!

Looking for other summer pasta? Try these weeknight favorites. 

Jammy Cherry Tomato Pasta with Crisp Lemon Rosemary Chickpeas

Antipasto Pasta Salad with Herby Parmesan Vinaigrette

One Pot Lemon Basil, Asparagus, and Sausage Pasta

20 minute lemon butter pasta with ricotta and spicy breadcrumbs

Lastly, if you make this Lemon Basil Zucchini Pasta Alfredo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!