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A simple, indulgent, cheesy pasta with zucchini and crispy bacon is a weeknight dinner that the whole family can agree on. It’s basically grown-up mac and cheese! The creamy white cheddar pasta is delicious alongside a simple green salad, a loaf of crusty Dutch oven bread, or a pan of sweet cornbread.
Super Cheesy Pasta
Everyone loves the classic comfort food, mac and cheese, but sometimes we want to dress it up with just a few extra ingredients. That’s where this super cheesy pasta comes in! It’s creamy and rich, with a complex variety of flavors and textures. You can use one cheese (like white cheddar), or a combination of good melting cheeses like cheddar, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby, and smoked Gouda.
Swap out the zucchini for peas or broccoli, or omit the bacon for a vegetarian dish. Garnish with fresh herbs, add grated fresh lemon zest, or a sprinkling of extra Parmesan cheese. It’s a delicious, quick, and easy dinner that will please even your pickiest little eaters!
Cheesy Pasta Sauce
The cheesy pasta sauce that coats every noodle and every bite of zucchini in this dish is rich, creamy, and incredibly flavorful. The base is just a classic bechamel sauce, which is commonly used for mac and cheese. I’ve used a combination of white cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyere cheeses here, but you have a lot of flexibility to choose and use the cheeses that you love most.
My best tips are to grate the cheese by hand, and use whole milk! While packaged pre-shredded cheese is a convenient shortcut for some dishes, it’s important to spend a few extra minutes grating this cheese from a block or wedge. The block cheeses don’t include the stabilizers and anti-caking additives that you’ll find in pre-shredded cheese, and therefore the block cheeses melt smoother into the sauce. Similarly, whole milk yields a richer, creamier, more flavorful cheese sauce than its lower-fat alternatives.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of cheesy pasta with zucchini. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Pasta: I like fusilli or rotini, but any similar short pasta shape will work.
- Bacon: I prefer thick-cut bacon for its hearty texture.
- Zucchini: for fresh, subtle vegetable flavor that pairs really well with pasta.
- Onion: adds sweet, savory flavor to the dish.
- Butter: for cooking the veggies and making the white sauce. I like salted butter for its extra flavor.
- All-purpose flour: thickens the sauce.
- Milk: use whole milk or 2% milk for the best flavor and texture. I don’t recommend skim milk here.
- Cheese: I like this sharp white cheddar cheese from Cracker Barrel paired with Gruyere. You can use any good melting cheeses that you prefer, such as Monterey Jack, Colby, mozzarella, and smoked Gouda.
- Parmesan cheese: for salty, sharp flavor in the cheesy pasta sauce. Use a wedge of Parmesan that you grate by hand for the best flavor and texture.
- Garlic powder: for earthy, savory flavor.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: enhance the other flavors in the dish.
How to Make Cheesy Pasta
Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because this cheesy pasta sauce comes together quickly and requires your full attention!
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
- While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven until it’s crispy. Remove the bacon to a separate paper towel-lined plate, reserving some of the drippings in the pan.
- Sauté the zucchini and onion in the bacon drippings until the vegetables are tender. Remove the veggies to the plate with the bacon.
- Whisk together the cheese sauce by combining the melted butter and flour, and then gradually streaming in the milk.
- Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the cheeses, salt, garlic powder, and pepper, whisking until smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, bacon, zucchini, and onion, and stir until everything is coated in the cheese sauce.
- Garnish with fresh lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, or crushed red pepper flakes.
What to Serve with Cheesy Pasta
This cheesy pasta dish is basically an entire meal in one pot, since you’ve got the noodles, veggies, and meat all in the same pan. No side dish necessary! That said, you might like to serve the cheesy pasta with some of these easy options to round out the meal:
- Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, Corn Sticks, Mexican Cornbread or Sweet Cornbread Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette, Jalapeño Cheddar Bread, Cheddar Chive Beer Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Broccoli or Broccoli and Cheese
- Roasted Green Beans, Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Sauteed Zucchini
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad or Cucumber Dill Salad
- Tomato Salad with Basil and Balsamic
Storage
- Cheesy pasta is best when served immediately, so I do not recommend preparing the dish in advance.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Cheesy white sauce pasta does not freeze well, since the milk-based sauce has a tendency to “break” when thawed.
How to Reheat
Place the pasta with zucchini in a saucepan. The pasta and sauce will dry out a bit as it sits, so it’s helpful to add a splash of milk and a little bit of butter to the pan. Then warm over low heat, just until it reaches the desired temperature. Stir regularly and the sauce should become smooth again!
Pasta with Zucchini Recipe Variations
- Don’t have fusilli? Other short pasta shapes such as elbows, rotini, penne, farfalle, medium shells, or cavatappi will also work.
- Try different types of cheese. For instance, swap out the white cheddar and try regular yellow cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, mozzarella, Gruyere, or Gouda (or a combination of cheeses).
- I typically use whole milk, but you can substitute with 2% milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Just don’t use a lower fat milk like skim, or your sauce won’t have that creamy mouthfeel.
- For a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon and just saute the vegetables in olive oil.
- Instead of zucchini, use yellow summer squash, frozen peas, baby broccoli florets, or other veggies that you like.
- Add other meats to the cheesy pasta, such as Italian sausage, smoked sausage, shrimp, ground turkey, chicken, or ground beef.
Tips for the Best Cheesy Pasta Recipe
- Use cheese that you grate by hand. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a bag or a can of pre-grated Parmesan, because those packaged cheeses include a powdery coating with stabilizers that prevent the cheese from melting as smoothly into the sauce.
- Salt the water before boiling your pasta. This is your chance to season the noodles for a flavorful dish!
- Remove the pot from the heat before adding the cheese so that the sauce stays creamy and smooth. When cheese gets too hot, it separates and gives the sauce a grainy texture.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half to serve 3-4 people.
- Garnish the finished dish with fresh thyme, fresh basil, fresh parsley, or fresh rosemary for an earthy flavor; use grated lemon zest for a bright, acidic component; or sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper to make it spicy.
More Cheesy Pasta Recipes to Try
- White Cheddar Pasta Bake with Broccoli and Bacon
- Shells and Cheese
- Ham and Cheese Casserole
- No-Boil Easy Overnight Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta with Broccoli
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Lasagna
Cheesy Pasta with Zucchini and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fusilli (or other short pasta)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- ½ of a sweet onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons (½ of a stick) salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk (or 2% if you don’t have whole milk)
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated white cheddar cheese or Gruyere cheese (or use a combination of two types of cheese)
- ½ cup (about 2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (plus extra for the pasta water)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: fresh lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, according to the package directions. Drain.
- While you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil, cook the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan.
- Add the zucchini and onion to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the zucchini and onions to the plate with the bacon.
- Without washing the skillet or Dutch oven, add the butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes as the mixture bubbles and turns a light golden color.
- Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the cheeses, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Whisk until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta, bacon, zucchini, and onion to the cheese sauce. Stir well until everything is coated in the sauce. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with fresh lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Use cheese that you grate by hand. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a bag or a can of pre-grated Parmesan, because those packaged cheeses include a powdery coating with stabilizers that prevent the cheese from melting as smoothly into the sauce.
- Salt the water before boiling your pasta. This is your chance to season the noodles for a flavorful dish!
- Remove the pot from the heat before adding the cheese so that the sauce stays creamy and smooth. When cheese gets too hot, it separates and gives the sauce a grainy texture.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half to serve 3-4 people.
- Garnish the finished dish with fresh thyme, fresh basil, fresh parsley, or fresh rosemary for an earthy flavor, use grated lemon zest for a bright, acidic component, or sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper to make it spicy.
- Don’t have fusilli? Other short pasta shapes such as elbows, rotini, penne, farfalle, medium shells, or cavatappi will also work.
- Try different types of cheese. For instance, swap out the white cheddar and try regular yellow cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, mozzarella, Gruyere, or Gouda (or a combination of cheeses).
- I typically use whole milk, but you can substitute with 2% milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Just don’t use a lower fat milk like skim, or your sauce won’t have that creamy mouthfeel.
- For a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon and just saute the vegetables in olive oil.
- Instead of zucchini, use yellow summer squash, frozen peas, baby broccoli florets, or other veggies that you like.
- Add other meats to the cheesy pasta, such as Italian sausage, shrimp, ground turkey, chicken, or ground beef.
