Jamie Oliver's 5-Ingredient Summer Pasta Checks All the Boxes

Towards the end of every summer growing up, it seemed like a side of mushy sautéed squash was on my plate, whether I liked it or not. My mom would cook it in butter with a bit of sliced onion, and while it was tasty, it got old after the first few weeks.

Now, as a mom, I get it. The squash was fresh, in season, and affordable, and my mom had four kids to feed. My kids have never really liked squash at all, and I think the biggest issue with it when it comes to little ones (and perhaps adults) is it lacks flavor and texture when improperly cooked. It can be flat-out unappealing.

This week, I had a very successful (and somewhat shocking!) go with summer squash. Turns out, all I had to do the whole time was serve it with pasta! Jamie Oliver’s 5-Ingredient Zucchini Pasta will be on repeat in my household all summer long.

Jamie Oliver's 5-Ingredient Zucchini Pasta

Besides getting devoured, the best part of Jamie's pasta (which he's named Lemony Courgette Linguine) is that it only takes a few minutes to throw together with minimal chopping required. To prep the zucchini, I used a mandolin, which makes cutting it into matchsticks super quick; if you don't have one, I’d suggest using the large holes on a box grater to speed up the work. 

The recipe is written to serve just two people, but I ended up using a full pound of pasta and doubled up on all of the other ingredients so that it would feed my family of five. I also drew inspiration from my mom: I sautéed the zucchini in a mixture of butter and olive oil, then added some grated garlic for a little zip. Lemon zest and a generous amount of umami-rich Parmesan cheese round out the flavor.

My Tips for Making Jamie Oliver's Pasta

I loved the freshness the mint added to the dish, but basil would be beautiful as well. Also, don't forget to save some pasta water—it helps create a creamy and luscious sauce.

The resulting dish is everything a summer pasta should be—light, flavorful, packed full of seasonal vegetables, and easy to assemble. My kids barely noticed the squash since it cooks down a decent amount and almost blends into the noodles. Finish your bowl with a flurry of extra Parm and some more herbs, then sit back and enjoy summer’s bounty.