Orecchiette with zucchini and stracciatella is a fresh and creamy pasta dish inspired by the flavors of Puglia. It combines one of the region’s most iconic pasta shapes with tender zucchini, fragrant basil and the rich, milky texture of stracciatella cheese.
The zucchini are cooked until soft and lightly golden, then partly blended to create a delicate sauce that coats every orecchietta. The remaining zucchini slices add texture, while fresh lemon zest gives the dish a bright and aromatic note.
Stracciatella is added at the end, away from direct heat, so it stays soft and creamy. Part of it melts gently into the zucchini sauce, while the rest is spooned over the pasta just before serving.
This is an easy vegetarian pasta recipe that is perfect for spring and summer. It is elegant enough for a special lunch, but simple enough to prepare for a quick family dinner.
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Why This Recipe Works
This recipe combines simple ingredients in a way that creates different flavors and textures.
Part of the zucchini is blended into a smooth sauce, while the remaining slices are left whole for texture. The curved shape of the orecchiette holds the creamy zucchini sauce beautifully, making every bite rich and flavorful.
Stracciatella is added away from direct heat, so it stays fresh, soft and milky rather than becoming heavy or stringy. Lemon zest and fresh basil balance its richness and give the pasta a light, summery flavor.
Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Total Time: 35 Min | Servings: 4
- 400 g (14 oz) fresh orecchiette pasta. For an even more authentic result, try making them at home with our Homemade Orecchiette Recipe
- 500 g (1.1 lb) zucchini, about 3 medium
- 250 g (9 oz) stracciatella cheese
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon
- 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make Orecchiette with Zucchini and Stracciatella
Make the Zucchini Sauce
Step 1) - Wash and dry the basil leaves. Finely grate the lemon zest, taking care to remove only the yellow outer layer and not the bitter white pith.
Wash the zucchini thoroughly and trim off both ends. Cut them into thin rounds or half-moon slices, depending on their size.
Step 2) - Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet. Add the peeled garlic clove and heat over low to medium heat for about 1 minute. Let the garlic gently flavor the oil without allowing it to burn.
Add the sliced zucchini to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini are tender and lightly golden but not mushy.
Remove and discard the garlic clove.
Step 3) - Transfer about half of the cooked zucchini to a tall container. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot pasta cooking water.
Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Leave the remaining zucchini slices in the skillet.
Pour the zucchini cream back into the skillet and mix it with the zucchini pieces.
Cook the Orecchiette
Step 4) - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh orecchiette and cook until al dente, following the cooking time indicated on the package. Fresh orecchiette generally take about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on their thickness.
Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add it as needed to loosen the sauce and help it coat the orecchiette evenly.
Step 5) - Drain the orecchiette and transfer them directly to the skillet with the zucchini sauce.
Cook over high heat for about 1 minute, stirring gently.
Turn off the heat and add the grated lemon zest and a few torn basil leaves.
Serve
Step 6) - Add about half of the stracciatella cheese.
Stir gently until the stracciatella begins to melt into the zucchini sauce. Do not cook it over direct heat, or it may lose its fresh, creamy texture.
Divide the orecchiette among the plates. Top each serving with the remaining stracciatella cheese.
Finish with freshly ground black pepper, a few basil leaves and, if desired, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
Tips for Creamy Orecchiette with Zucchini
- Do not overcook the zucchini. Cook them until tender and lightly golden, but not so long that they become watery or lose their shape.
- Blend only part of the zucchini. Turning half of the cooked zucchini into a smooth cream gives the pasta a velvety sauce, while the remaining slices add texture.
- Use pasta cooking water. Add it gradually when blending the zucchini and tossing the orecchiette. Its starch helps bind the sauce and makes it creamier without adding heavy cream.
- Cook the orecchiette until al dente. Fresh orecchiette cook quickly, so check them a little before the time indicated on the package. They should remain pleasantly firm.
- Add the stracciatella away from the heat. High temperatures can make it lose its fresh, milky texture. Stir part of it into the pasta after turning off the heat, then use the rest as a topping.
- Add lemon zest sparingly. A little zest brightens the zucchini and balances the richness of the stracciatella, but too much can overpower the other flavors.
- Serve the pasta immediately. The zucchini sauce and stracciatella are at their creamiest as soon as the pasta is prepared. As it cools, the sauce will gradually become thicker.
Variations and Substitutions
- Fresh or dried orecchiette. Fresh orecchiette give the dish a softer, more delicate texture, but dried orecchiette work just as well. Use about 320 g (11 oz) of dried pasta for 4 servings.
- Burrata instead of stracciatella. If you cannot find stracciatella cheese, use the creamy filling from one or two burrata cheeses. You can also tear the entire burrata into pieces and add it to the pasta just before serving.
- Ricotta for a lighter option. Fresh cow’s milk ricotta can replace stracciatella, although the result will be less rich and creamy. Stir it with a little pasta cooking water before adding it to the orecchiette.
- Add a crunchy topping. Sprinkle the finished pasta with chopped pistachios, toasted almonds or crispy breadcrumbs for extra texture.
- Add a little heat. Sauté a small piece of fresh chili or a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for a slightly spicy version.
- Try different herbs. Fresh mint works especially well with zucchini and can replace the basil or be used together with it.
- Make it without lemon. The lemon zest adds freshness, but you can leave it out for a milder and more traditional flavor.
- Use other short pasta shapes. If orecchiette are not available, try cavatelli, trofie, fusilli or small shells, which also hold the creamy zucchini sauce well.
Storage
Orecchiette with zucchini and stracciatella are best served immediately, while the sauce is still creamy and the cheese is fresh and soft.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the pasta will gradually absorb the sauce and become less creamy.
To reheat, place the orecchiette in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water. Stir gently until warmed through, without cooking them for too long.
If possible, store the stracciatella separately and add it only after reheating the pasta. This helps preserve its fresh, milky texture.
Freezing is not recommended, as both the zucchini sauce and the stracciatella may become watery or grainy after thawing.
More Italian Orecchiette Recipes
If you love orecchiette, try these other delicious recipes:
- Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe: A classic Puglian recipe made with one of the region’s most traditional ingredients.
- Orecchiette with Broccoli, Anchovies and Tomatoes: A flavorful pasta dish with a delicious balance of savory, fresh and slightly sweet notes.
- Orecchiette di Grano Arso Recipe with Burrata & Cherry Tomatoes: A rustic and distinctive recipe made with toasted wheat flour orecchiette, creamy burrata and juicy cherry tomatoes.
Recipe Card
Orecchiette with Zucchini and Stracciatella Cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh orecchiette pasta - 14 oz
- 500 g zucchini - 1.1 lb, about 3 medium
- 250 g stracciatella cheese - 9 oz
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 organic lemon - the finely grated zest
- 8 to 10 leaves fresh basil
- fine salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
Make the Zucchini Sauce
- Wash and dry the basil leaves. Finely grate the lemon zest, taking care to remove only the yellow outer layer and not the bitter white pith.
- Wash the zucchini thoroughly and trim off both ends. Cut them into thin rounds or half-moon slices, depending on their size.
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet. Add the peeled garlic clove and heat over low to medium heat for about 1 minute. Let the garlic gently flavor the oil without allowing it to burn.
- Add the sliced zucchini to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini are tender and lightly golden but not mushy.
- Remove and discard the garlic clove.
- Transfer about half of the cooked zucchini to a tall container. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot pasta cooking water.
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Leave the remaining zucchini slices in the skillet.
- Pour the zucchini cream back into the skillet and mix it with the zucchini pieces.
Cook the Orecchiette
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh orecchiette and cook until al dente, following the cooking time indicated on the package. Fresh orecchiette generally take about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on their thickness.
- Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add it as needed to loosen the sauce and help it coat the orecchiette evenly.
- Drain the orecchiette and transfer them directly to the skillet with the zucchini sauce.
- Cook over high heat for about 1 minute, stirring gently.
- Turn off the heat and add the grated lemon zest and a few torn basil leaves.
Serve
- Add about half of the stracciatella cheese.
- Stir gently until the stracciatella begins to melt into the zucchini sauce. Do not cook it over direct heat, or it may lose its fresh, creamy texture.
- Divide the orecchiette among the plates. Top each serving with the remaining stracciatella cheese.
- Finish with freshly ground black pepper, a few basil leaves and, if desired, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
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