Dairy Free Yellow Zucchini Pasta - a creamy comforting one pot pasta dish made with simple ingredients and completely dairy free. Sweet yellow zucchini, garlic and pasta come together in a silky sauce, with light coconut milk adding that delicious creamy texture without needing any cheese or cream.
Creating recipes that work for different dietary needs is always really important to me, because everyone deserves meals that still feel comforting and full of flavour. For this pasta, I wanted to create that creamy texture you expect from a one pot pasta dish without relying on dairy, and the light coconut milk worked perfectly while still letting all the garlic and zucchini flavours shine through.
Calories in One Pot Dairy Free Creamy Yellow Zucchini Pasta
This recipe serves 2 and is 422 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes by calories, you'll find plenty of options grouped by calorie range here: Slimming Eats Low Calorie Recipes
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Onion - Adds sweetness and flavour to the base of the pasta as it softens and cooks down.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic gives the dish lots of savoury flavour and works perfectly with the creamy sauce.
- Yellow Zucchini (Courgette) - Adds a lovely softness and slight sweetness to the pasta. Slicing into ribbons or thin strips helps it cook quickly and blend beautifully into the sauce.
- Pasta - Any short pasta shape works well in this recipe as it cooks directly in the sauce and absorbs all the delicious flavours. I use capunti pasta
- Vegetable Stock - Helps cook the pasta while creating the base of the sauce. Be sure to use the right ratio of stock cubes or paste to water for a balanced, tasty broth. Too little and it'll taste flat; too much and it can become overly salty.
- Light Coconut Milk - Adds creaminess to the dish without needing dairy. The coconut flavour is very subtle and works perfectly with the garlic and zucchini.
- Italian Seasoning - Adds extra savoury herb flavour and works really well in the creamy sauce.
- Fresh Parsley - Adds freshness and a lovely finishing touch when serving.
- Salt and Black Pepper - Important for seasoning and balancing the flavours.
- Olive oil Spray - Used for softening the onion and garlic without needing lots of oil.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
This creamy zucchini pasta is really easy to adapt depending on what you have on hand or whether you want to add extra protein and vegetables.
- Green zucchini can be used instead of yellow zucchini if preferred.
- Add mushrooms, spinach, peas or cherry tomatoes for extra vegetables and flavour.
- Stir through cooked chicken, prawns or crispy bacon if you want to add protein.
- Chickpeas or white beans work really well for a vegetarian protein boost.
- Full fat coconut milk can be used for an even creamier sauce.
- If dairy is not an issue stir through some cream cheese instead of the coconut milk, you could also add some cheese like parmesan.
- Fresh basil works really well alongside or instead of parsley.
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a little heat.
- Wholewheat pasta can be used instead of regular pasta if preferred.
- A squeeze of lemon juice before serving adds a lovely fresh finish.
- Swap the Italian seasoning for fresh thyme or oregano for a slightly different flavour.
- Toasted pine nuts or walnuts sprinkled over the top add a lovely crunch.
Side Suggestions
This creamy pasta works really well served with simple sides that keep the meal light and fresh.
- Side Salad - A simple mixed salad with all the salad items you love like cucumber, red onion, tomatoes etc pairs really nicely with the pasta.
- Roasted Vegetables - Roasted broccoli, asparagus or green beans all work really well alongside this dish.
- Grilled Chicken or Prawns - Great if you want to add extra protein to the meal.
- Steamed Greens - Spinach, kale or tenderstem broccoli are all delicious simple sides.
- Crusty Bread - Choose a small crusty roll or ciabatta that is low in calories. Perfect for mopping up any leftover sauce from the bowl.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Storing
This pasta is best enjoyed freshly cooked, as one pot pasta dishes can soften more as they sit due to the pasta continuing to absorb the sauce. However, leftovers can still be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezing
I do not really recommend freezing this recipe, as the texture of the pasta and zucchini can become quite soft once defrosted and reheated.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over a low heat or in the microwave in short bursts until heated through. Add a splash of stock, water or coconut milk to loosen the sauce if needed, as the pasta will absorb more liquid during storage.
More Pasta Recipes
Looking for some more pasta recipes to try? check out these:
see more Pasta Recipes
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
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Recipe Card
One Pot Dairy Free Creamy Yellow Zucchini Pasta
Garlicky Yellow Zucchini and Pasta - a creamy comforting one pot pasta dish with garlic, tender zucchini and a silky dairy free sauce made with light coconut milk.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 300g (10.5oz) of yellow zucchini (courgette), julienned or sliced into thin ribbons
- 150g (5.5oz) of uncooked pasta
- 1.5 cups (360ml) of vegetable stock
- 1 cup (240ml) of light coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- a small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Spray a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat with olive oil spray
- Add the onion and fry for a couple of minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and fry for a minute to infuse flavour.
- Add the zucchini, pasta, stock, coconut milk, Italian seasoning and parsley.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for approx 12 minutes until pasta is cooked through and sauce has reduced down and is silky and creamy.
- Season as needed with salt and black pepper.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Dairy Free Friendly
- Vegetarian Friendly
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Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 422Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 7gSodium 606mgCarbohydrates 76gFiber 5gSugar 6gProtein 13g
Adel Botfield says
Does this taste like coconut? Looks delish but I'm not a fan of coconut
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
it's not overpowering no, but if you really dislike coconut, this may not be the dish for you. Try some of my other pasta recipes.
Amy says
Could I use soya milk instead of coconut milk?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
soya milk is much more watery, so you would need to add a starch to thicken slightly.
Janie Hardwick says
This was delicious! I doubled the recipe and added Italian sausage. My husband won’t touch anything with coconut but he liked this!