Creamy pasta with zucchini, provola and capers

Name: Creamy pasta with zucchini, provola and capers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Spaghetti 11.3 oz; Provola cheese fresh 8.8 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Zucchini 2 ½ cups; Water 3.5 oz; Fine salt to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Garlic 1 clove; Parsley 5 tbsp; Capers in vinegar 7 ½ tbsp; Fresh liquid cream 4 tbsp

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

Listen to the recipe

PRESENTATION

When spring hits southern Italy, creamy zucchini pasta just becomes a must-have. Really, it's like a tradition. The core of the season captured in a dish, with fresh and exciting flavors. And honestly, the real magic? It is all about blending those tender zucchinis into a rich, silky sauce. Then, you mix them with smooth provola cheese—seriously good—and a splash of salty capers. And you know what? This isn’t just another pasta; it’s got this creamy texture that feels luxurious yet down-to-earth, like classic Italian kitchens. Really, people love to tweak it. Sometimes they swap provola for burrata or throw in speck or prosciutto for a smoky twist. The moist cheese and tangy capers make every bite so, so unique.

In places like Campania and Calabria, locals love transforming simple dishes like this by playing around with just a few ingredients. Pretty much.

Thing is, while many provola pasta recipes go heavy on the cheese, this version stays light. Really light. It's all thanks to the blended zucchini instead of just cream. The combo of veggies and cheese gives a silky texture that's way better—definitely not too heavy. And look, zucchini caper pasta just stands out among easy pasta dishes. Locals aren’t shy about using regional caprino or adding smoked provolone—which is great for that extra flavor, so don’t hesitate to make it your own. Some even whip this up as a quick meal on busy spring evenings, since it comes together fast yet tastes special. Whether you’re after vegetarian pasta dishes that pack a punch or just want a new spin on Italian pasta with zucchini, this one really shines.

The capers cut through the richness, and those crispy zucchini bits on top? Perfect balance. And every bite's like a little taste of spring in a bowl. So, next time you’re craving something fresh and delicious, remember this creamy zucchini pasta as your go-to choice for an authentic taste of southern Italy. Can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 11.3 oz (320 g)

Provola cheese 8.8 oz (250 g) - fresh

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

for the zucchini cream: Zucchini 2 ½ cups (300 g); Water 3.5 oz (100 g); Fine salt to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Garlic 1 clove; Parsley 5 tbsp (10 g)

for the caper sauce: Capers in vinegar 7 ½ tbsp (60 g); Fresh liquid cream 4 tbsp (60 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Creamy pasta with zucchini, provola and capers

To prepare the creamy pasta with zucchini, provola and capers, trim the zucchini 1 and cut them into cubes of about 3/8 inch 2. Transfer the zucchini to a baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake them in a conventional oven preheated to 446°F for 20 minutes 3.

Meanwhile, transfer the provola to a jug 4 and blend it with an immersion blender 5 to obtain a smooth cream 6.

In a small saucepan pour in the cream and the capers 7, bring the mixture to a boil, blend in a jug 8 and set this flavorful sauce aside 9.

When the zucchini are ready 10, place them in a jug 11 with the water 12.

Salt 13, season with parsley 14 and blend everything well 15.

In a pan heat the oil with the garlic 16. Once the oil has taken on the garlic flavor, remove the garlic 17 and add the cream 18. Keep the cream over low heat while you take care of the spaghetti.

Meanwhile cook the spaghetti al dente 19 and add a ladle of the pasta water to the cream 20. Drain the spaghetti into the pan and finish cooking, dress with a drizzle of oil and toss to combine 21.

Serve with the fresh provola cream 22 and the caper sauce 23. The creamy pasta with zucchini, provola and capers is ready to enjoy 34.

Storage

Serve the creamy pasta with zucchini, provola and capers immediately.

You can prepare the zucchini cream in advance.

Tip

To achieve an impeccable and super creamy texture, we recommend blending the provola when it is at room temperature and, if necessary, you can add a splash of hot pasta cooking water to help dissolve it without forming lumps before combining it with the dish.

Fresh provola can be substituted with mozzarella.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.