🍝 Spicy Sausage & Crispy Zucchini Pasta

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A quick, flavorful summer pasta to feed your friends on a Tuesday.

Growing up, I used to think pasta night meant red sauce or bust. However, this recipe proves that the best bowls can come together without tomatoes or rules. It’s spicy, lemony, and packed with summer zucchini—aka the vegetable that won't stop showing up at every farmer’s market table this time of year.

This is the dish I made for my August dinner party—served to friends I’ve known since middle school who just reappeared in my life like a little gift from the Bay Area universe. We caught up over spritzes while this simmered on the stove, and honestly, I’ll be making it again before the week is over.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–5)

  • 1 lb spicy Italian sausage (chicken or pork), casing removed

  • 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds with a mandoline

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

  • ½ lb pasta (rigatoni, bucatini, or fusilli)

  • ½ cup reserved pasta water

  • 1 lemon, zested

  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • Handful of fresh basil, chopped (plus more for topping)

  • Salt & pepper to taste

🔪 Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until 1–2 minutes shy of al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.

  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Add sausage and cook until mostly browned, then remove to a bowl.

  3. Meanwhile, slice zucchini into thin rounds with a mandoline. Pat dry with paper towels. Place half the zucchini in an air fryer (or convection oven) and cook at 400°F for ~10 minutes, until golden and crispy.

  4. In the same pan used for sausage, add another splash of olive oil if needed. Sauté onion, garlic, and the remaining zucchini with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for 2–3 minutes, until softened.

  5. Return the sausage to the pan along with the crispy zucchini, reserved pasta water, Parmesan, lemon zest/juice, chopped basil, and the drained pasta. Toss everything together until glossy and coated.

  6. Serve topped with more basil, Parmesan, and an optional drizzle of chili oil.

🍽️ Tips & Swaps

  • Vegetarian? Use mushrooms or chickpeas instead of sausage.

  • Need to stretch it? Add a can of white beans or double the pasta.

  • Gluten-free? Use your favorite GF pasta brand—just watch the cook time.

💬 Have leftovers?

They reheat beautifully the next day. I may or may not have eaten mine cold, straight from the fridge. No regrets.