Why not use up some seasonal zucchini with this Gruyère Cheese and Zucchini Pasta dish. It’s got the comfort of a cool weather dish while being light and fresh all at the same time. Made using pasta, Gruyère Cheese, seasonal zucchini, garlic, oregano, olive oil, fresh parsley and salt and pepper. It comes together quickly and you can even make it for lunch.
If you’ve been a long time reader, you’ll know my love for Pasta Dishes. I don’t think I’ve met a pasta dish that i didn’t like. I love them all from rich Chicken & Spinach Lasagna, to quick and easy Garlic & Mushroom Spaghetti, to creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese. I’m here for all of them.
And in my over six years of writing this Food Blog, this is my first recipe featuring Gruyere Cheese. Somehow I always stick to Parmesan, Gouda, Cheddar, Feta Goat cheese, oh and the list goes on and on. I do love cheese.
But for this time around I finally opted for the Gruyere Cheese and it didn’t disappoint all in bringing the flavours through for this Pasta dish.
Take a look below and see how quickly this tasty dish comes together.
Ingredients to Make The Gruyere Cheese and Zucchini Pasta
- Pasta
- Gruyere cheese
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Olive oil
- Oregano
- Salt
- Black pepper
REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Let’s Cook The Pasta Dish
Always do all the prep work before you start cooking. When cooking pasta dishes that come together quickly, it’s important to have everything chopped and ready for the next stage of cooking.
- Grate, peel and chop – get all your prep work done. Here we need to peel and slice the garlic. Grate the cheese. Finely chop the parsley. And, of course, chop the zucchini.
Cook The Zucchini For The Gruyere Cheese and Zucchini Pasta
- Add olive oil and garlic – cook the garlic slices over medium to high heat for just about a minute. Garlic can burn quickly, so make sure you keep an eye on it and turn the heat down if necessary.
- Add Zucchini pieces – Add the zucchini and give a really good stir. Let the zucchini cook down for about 10 minutes. It will be slightly browned and soft.
- Cook pasta – to save time, cook the pasta while the zucchini is cooking. Pasta cooking time varies depending on which type and brand you are using. This pasta I used was quite a hard pasta and cooked al dente in 10 minutes.
The Importance of Using Pasta Water
- Save pasta water – when you drain the pasta, make sure to reserve some of the pasta water. As this isn’t a creamy dish, the pasta water is important to add a more silky texture to the dish and so the cheese doesn’t all clump together.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the zucchini – add the pasta, cheese, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Then add a ladle of pasta water. Stir really well and you can decide if you need a little more pasta water. i used two ladles for this dish.
Gruyere Cheese and Zucchini Pasta Ready to Serve
Here is it hot off the stove and ready to enjoy! I topped it with extra grated cheese, parsley and lots of black pepper. This is optional of course, but necessary….hahaha.
Much like my Easy Garlic & Mushroom Spaghetti, this dish needs to be served right away. It will start to stick together after it sits around for a big. So make sure you are ready to sit and eat as soon as it finishes cooking.
What Kind Of Pasta Works best for This Dish
I recommend any kind of short pasta. Anything like Penne, Spirals, Macaroni, Elbow, Rigatoni or Farfalle. Avoid pastas like spaghetti, tagliatelle or wide ribbon pastas for this dish.
IMPORTANT, Remember all pasta brands and shapes cook at different times. It’s important to read the box to get your pasta cooked perfect.
Can I made any Substitutions for the Gruyere Cheese in This pasta Dish
Yes, no problem. But, of course, it will change the over all outcome of the dish. If you don’t have Gruyere cheese, I’d probably recommend keeping things simple and going to basic Parmesan. It never fails and tastes great.
Hey Julia, What’s Great to Serve With This Pasta Dish
You know I got you covered with so many wonderful sides and starters for this dish. Here’s a few of my suggestions
- Salads – A fresh salad to go on the side of this would work really well. Why not take a look at the Mediterranean Tossed Salad or the Classic Caprice Salad.
- Breads – Of course you can serve with pasta! Garlic Knots are one of our family favourites and even the Rustic Loaf would be great.
- As part of a bigger main course – Yes, this pasta dish would also work as a side in smaller portions. I think it would work wonderful with the Stuffing Topped Roasted Turkey Tenderloin or even the Stove Top Lemon Chicken.
This is a great mid week lunch or dinner option. You’ll love it! My son and I practically ate the whole skillet a few weeks back when I made this for lunch. And we both agreed that Gruyere cheese will be showing up more often on our dinner table.
Enjoy the pasta friends and have a great Wednesday. I’ll see you all in a few days with more delicious kitchen inspiration!
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Here’s Some More Pasta Dishes with Zucchini You Might Like To Try
- Zucchini Pasta Salad in a Lemon Vinaigrette
- Fusilli Pasta Bake with Bacon & Zucchini
- Tomato & Zucchini Oven Baked Pasta
Get The Recipe!
Gruyère Cheese and Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 6 oz Gruyere cheese finely grated
- 1 zucchini
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- small bunch fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet set over medium to high heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Sizzle for a minute and add all the zucchini. Give a really good stir and cook the zucchini for about 10 minutes or until soft and golden.
- While the zucchini is cooking, cook the pasta in a separate pot. Cook according to the package. All pasta types and brands cook at different times. Drain pasta, reserving the pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta, cheese, oregano, salt, pepper and parsley to the skillet with the cooked zucchini. Stir really well and pasta water as needed. I used two ladles of pasta water for this dish.
- Serve immediately and top with extra shavings of Gruyere cheese if desired.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.