Pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, pistachios, and feta is a simple, bright dish with Sicilian inspiration — ideal for warm-weather meals.
Lightly sauced pasta combined with tender, melt-in-your-mouth zucchini and finished with tangy feta and crunchy pistachios makes a reliable dinner any time of year. The flavors are fresh and balanced, and the recipe comes together quickly—perfect when you want something satisfying without fuss.
There are days when routine meals and takeout lose their appeal, and the idea of tackling a complicated recipe feels exhausting. This pasta is the answer: familiar, comforting, and easy to prepare, but with bright, interesting flavors that feel new.
Simple homemade sauces can beat jarred ones in both flavor and speed. This tomato-and-zucchini sauce is ready in roughly the same time it takes to boil the pasta, so you don’t have to trade a long cooking session for something flavorful and fresh.
Start by sautéing zucchini in olive oil with garlic until it’s tender and begins to brown. Add tomatoes and classic seasonings—oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper—and simmer until the tomatoes soften and become slightly jammy. I used campari tomatoes here; they’re medium-sized and work beautifully, but you can use cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or even canned tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
While the sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Reserve a little pasta cooking water to help loosen the sauce when you combine everything. Toss the pasta with the zucchini and tomatoes, adjust seasoning, then finish each serving with crumbled feta and toasted pistachios.
The salty, tangy feta pairs perfectly with the sweet, toasty pistachios and the comforting tomato-and-zucchini pasta. It’s an uncomplicated dish that still feels special—comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.
- 1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lb campari or other small tomatoes, quartered (or 1 can crushed tomatoes)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, more to taste
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb rigatoni or other pasta
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the zucchini and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 7–10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture becomes slightly jammy.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the zucchini and tomatoes. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce and create a silky coating. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Divide among bowls and top with crumbled feta and chopped toasted pistachios. Serve warm.