Vegan Parmesan Zucchini Spinach Pasta Skillet! It’s the perfect quick dinner: bright, easy, and totally plant-based, yet rich enough to satisfy even the most serious pasta craving.
This Vegan Parmesan Zucchini Spinach Pasta Skillet is a savory, sunshine-filled summer dish that blends tender zucchini with leafy spinach and a sprinkle of vegan “parmesan” for a flavorful, comforting bite. Sautéed garlic and onions swathe the skillet in aroma, while Italian herbs—basil, oregano, and a pinch of thyme—shine through the vibrant greens and tender pasta. The result is a plant-based weeknight winner that feels indulgent without tipping into heavy.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients.
Hi there, Ameera here!
If you love zucchini, then you will love this tasty pasta skillet. Dad absolutely loved it. Rave reviews all around! You gotta give this one a try, because the combination of tender zucchini, spinach, and a satisfying, plant-based parmesan hits all the right notes for a comforting weeknight dinner.
It’s a simple, cozy dish that makes you feel nurtured and impressed with how a few pantry staples can become something really special—great for sharing with friends and family and for those craving a delicious, meat-free pasta dish that doesn’t compromise on flavor.
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Vegan Parmesan Zucchini Spinach Pasta Skillet is a deliciously savory summer zucchini dish that is delightful comfort food filled with Italian herbs and spices.
- Spices: You can easily ramp up the spices if you wish to suit your own personal preferences.
- Dried Crushed Thyme Leaves: If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme but use half the amount. We added the thyme near the end.
- Greens: Greens such as spinach and kale are natural spice/herb neutralizers. A soup/stew/dish can taste perfectly seasoned before adding the greens, then once the greens are added, the flavor mellows requiring more seasoning. We prefer to use baby spinach (or baby kale) as it cooks quickly and is very tender.
- Baby Spinach Substitutions: Feel free to substitute with your favorite greens such as baby kale. If using mature greens, then consider massaging them to help break down the fiber and adding them in Step 4.
- Zucchini: We used a 10.8 oz. zucchini (before removing the ends). This came out to slightly more than 2 cups of small-diced zucchini. We sliced the zucchini in half lengthwise, then in fourths, then finally into 8ths before dicing into ¼ inch slices. If using smaller zucchinis, slice into fourths lengthwise, then into ¼ inch slices.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese: We used our Vegan Parmesan Cheese for this dish. It has an amazing flavor and is well balanced. Feel free to use your favorite Vegan Parmesan Cheese recipe. The vegan parmesan cheese is an essential ingredient and really elevates the dish to the next level. You can leave out the Vegan Parmesan Cheese, but the dish will require some additional finesse to elevate the flavor.
- Gluten Free Pasta: Feel free to use your favorite petite-style GF pasta in this dish, just know that the dish may turn out thicker as GF pasta tends to leach out quite a bit of starch.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the petite diced tomatoes) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. If you prefer that tinny taste that is typically associated with canned tomatoes, feel free to leave it out or only add a pinch.
- Amount of Sea Salt: Our family was completely divided over the amount of sea salt that was used in this recipe. Some felt it needed additional sea salt seasoning.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered air-tight container.
This dish can be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large stockpot (to boil pasta)
- Large skillet
If you try this wholesome skillet meal, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Vegan Parmesan Zucchini Spinach Pasta Skillet
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 Minutes
- Yield: 7 Cups 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Parmesan Zucchini Spinach Pasta Skillet is a savory, sunshine-filled summer dish that blends tender zucchini with leafy spinach and a sprinkle of vegan “parmesan” for a flavorful, comforting bite.
Ingredients
Skillet Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 1 medium zucchini (10 to 12 oz.), unpeeled, small dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (+/-) *
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (+/-) *
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (+/-) *
- 1/8 teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Other Ingredients:
- 8 oz. dry farfalle pasta (or pasta of choice) *
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese *
- 2 cups (2.5 oz.) chopped, packed fresh baby spinach *
Optional Toppings:
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese *
Instructions
- Cook the farfalle pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water to thoroughly rinse off excess starches. Then allow to thoroughly drain to remove any excess water. Set aside.
- Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix to combine, set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the onions and zucchini. Sauté over medium-high heat for 8 to 11 minutes to soften, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning. Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic, sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
- Add all the other remaining Base Ingredients (except the baking soda) and the Spice/Herb Mix into the skillet, stir well. Increase the heat to high to bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Add the baking soda, stir well, then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, largely dependent upon how tender you enjoy the zucchini.
- Once the zucchini has reached the desired tenderness, add the nutritional yeast and Vegan Parmesan Cheese, stir well to mix in. Simmer for several minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and chopped baby spinach, stir to incorporate. Simmer on lower for 3 to 4 minutes, then serve topped with freshly chopped parsley and/or a generous sprinkle Vegan Parmesan Cheese.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Servings: 4 (makes 7 cups)
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