Melted Zucchini Pasta with Harissa & Halloumi Crispies
The pasta to make when you've got too much zucchini.
We’ve reached that time of year, babes! Everywhere you look, summer squash, summer squash, and—you guessed it!—more summer squash. There can never be enough zucchini recipes, in my humble opinion, because every year, without fail, these tender veggie friends are showing up en masse at farmer’s markets, week after week in CSA boxes, and poppin’ off in people’s home gardens.
Zucchini’s mild, sweet flavor works in a variety of dishes—from sweet (hello, zucchini bread!) to savory—providing a great canvas for bigger, bolder flavors. When it comes to pasta, there are two directions you can go (and, no, I’m not talking about zoodles!): sliced and caramelized or grated and melted. This pasta recipe falls into the latter, the squash softening and slumping into a luscious sauce that coats every bite. And, good news, this recipe uses a full pound of zucchini for only a half pound of pasta!
Since this cooking method intensifies the sweetness of the squash, there’s a whole team of ingredients to balance things out—harissa, tomato paste, lemon zest, and lemon juice—providing heat, richness, and bright tang. Plus, lots of fresh tender herbs give verdant life to every twirl and swirl.
And, of course, there needs to be a textural topping as a foil for the soft, silky sauce. Enter grated halloumi. Instead of melting, this cheese browns and crisps, each grating becoming like a cheesy bread crumb (think that melted, crunchy cheese skirt that forms on the outside of a grilled cheese meets Italian pangrattato, or fried bread crumbs). The halloumi crispies get tossed with lemon zest after coming out of the pan for extra citrusy brightness.
Looking for more squash-spiration? Try this caramelized zucchini pasta, the best zucchini cake you will ever make (I swear!), and grilled zucchini salad. Psst, I even wrote an article on how to use zucchini tops, too!
Melted Zucchini Pasta with Harissa & Halloumi Crispies
If you can’t find a frilly, ruffly long pasta cut, you can use another long cut like spaghetti or fettuccine—I also love this sauce with egg tagliatelle for a more delicate mouthful. If shorter cuts are your thing, go with something that is going to grab and cup the thick sauce, like campanelle, torchio, cestini, or sagne e pezzi, or lumache.
Want even more layered citrus flavor? If you have some preserved lemons in your fridge, you can toss in a tablespoon of chopped preserved lemon + a couple teaspoons of the salty liquid from the jar to the sauce.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium zucchini
8 ounces halloumi cheese
8 ounces frilly long pasta, like malfaldine, fusillo col buco, or riccia
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon, Diamond Crystal or 1½ tablespoons, plus ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for finishing
1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1½ tablespoons harissa paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Two to three big handfuls fresh basil or mint leaves (about 1½ to 2 cups)
METHOD
Grate 1 pound medium zucchini on the large side of a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, wrap up, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
Rinse off the grater and grate 8 ounces halloumi cheese on the large side, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water, plus 3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 1½ tablespoons Morton’s kosher salt, over high heat. Wait until Step 5 to add 8 ounces frilly long pasta, stir, and cook to al dente, according to the package’s instructions. (That way the pasta and sauce will be ready around the same time.)
While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the halloumi crispies and the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, large enough to hold the pasta, over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the reserved grated halloumi, sprinkling it in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Cook, undisturbed until it starts to turn light golden, 1½ to 3 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until the pieces don’t stick to each other and most are golden on one or two sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and reserve the skillet for later use. Grate the zest of 1 lemon over, reserving the juice for later use, toss to combine, and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium heat, add remaining 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns light golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Add 1½ tablespoons harissa paste and 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and fry, stirring frequently until they turn a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reserved grated zucchini and the remaining 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini softens and reduces by about half, 8 to 12 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Transfer the drained pasta and ½ cup pasta cooking water to the zucchini, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the pasta until some of the pasta water is absorbed by the pasta and it form a thick sauce, coating each strand, and slightly pooling on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the juice of 1 lemon. Roughly chop one big handful basil or mint leaves, add them to the pasta, and toss everything to coat. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
To serve, transfer to a serving platter, shallow serving bowl, or individual bowls and top with the reserved halloumi crispies, a generous amount of fresh basil and mint leaves (I like to get a bit of fresh herbs with every single bite), and an additional drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.
Make-ahead: You can make the grated zucchini sauce 1 day in advance, then heat, add your pasta and pasta water, and finish the pasta dish. The halloumi crispies are best made right before serving.
No halloumi?: While I love the textural fun of crispy cheese bits, this pasta dish also is great topped with crumbled feta in a pinch. Just make sure to add the zest of the lemon to the pasta instead of the halloumi crispies. Or, if you’re vegan, you can go the route of pangranatto, or fried breadcrumbs, like the garlicky ones from my grilled Caesar romano beans.
I need more protein, please!: Instead of the halloumi, you can swap in ½ to 1 pound of hot or sweet Italian sausage or merguez sausage. Remove the sausage from its casing and brown in the oil before adding the garlic in Step 4.