Basil Lemon Pesto Pasta with Zucchini is a quick and easy vegetarian meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. If you love pesto and fresh zucchini, this is the pasta dish for you!
In a small bowl, put your pesto and lemon juice in it and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a large pot, boil water for your pasta. Season the water with a liberal amount of salt and a couple drizzles of olive oil.
Cook the pasta until done. Whole wheat pasta takes a little longer to cook, about 9-12 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, cut your zucchini. First cut off the ends then cut in half lengthwise and then slice into half-moon slices.
In a large frying pan (big enough to hold all the pasta when it's done), drizzle some olive oil and turn the stove to medium high. Once oil is hot, add in the minced garlic and saute until you can start to smell the garlic, about 1 minute. Don't burn it!
At this point, add the sliced zucchini, salt, and pepper, and saute until tender-crisp. You can taste a piece to see if it's as done as you like. It took me about 5-7 minutes to cook it to the tenderness I liked.
Add the pesto to the cooked zucchini. If the mixture is too thick/clumpy, add a little bit of the pasta water to thin it out.
Drain the cooked pasta in a colander and add it to the zucchini and pesto mixture. Gently toss and mix together until well combined.
Grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top before you serve.