Mediterranean Pasta Recipe with Zucchini and Anchovies

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Linguini al dente with zucchini, anchovies, and peperoncini ready in just 15 minutes. Bold flavor, minimal ingredients, zero fuss. If you’re looking for a pasta that tastes like the Mediterranean but is ready before you finish your first glass of wine, this is it. 

A black bowl of pasta with zucchini and anchovies asprinkled with Parmesan cheese, over a wooden surface.

The zucchini stays firm and almost crisp, the anchovies melt into the oil creating a deep, savory sauce, and the peperoncini add just the right kick to make it completely addictive.

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Here you’ll find..
  1. A Recipe That's Here to Stay
  2. Ingredients
  3. How to Make Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini and Anchovies
  4. FAQs
  5. Other Easy Pasta Recipes You'll Love
  6. Mediterranean Pasta Recipe with Zucchini and Anchovies
An open can of achovy filletes in olive oil and five garlic cloves on a wooden surface.

A Recipe That’s Here to Stay

This is one of those recipes I treasure from my time living in Southern California. I had a thriving kitchen garden where I grew almost all my own produce.

The thing was, you’d suddenly find yourself with an abundance of tomatoes, or eggplant, or zucchini — all at once — and you had to get creative to keep things interesting.

So when I came across Neil Perry’s recipe for this zucchini pasta —one that also called for garlic, anchovies, and peperoncini— I thought: bingo! I have a thing for bold flavors, and the way they play off the mildness of the zucchini here is just perfect.

I first published this recipe in the summer of 2010. The photos were terrible — I’d taken them on a BlackBerry (I know, hard to believe, but it’s true). So I reshot the whole thing in the spring of 2019.

Back in 2010, zucchini noodles weren’t even a thing yet. So a proper bowl of pasta —my favorite food— loaded with sautéed zucchini, garlic, anchovies, and peperoncini was, and still is, the best. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Enjoy!

Enri

Enri Lemoine 2025

Ingredients

A marble mortar with a pestle and anchovy paste on a wooden surface.

To make this zucchini and anchovy pasta you’ll need:

Exact quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini and Anchovies

Shredded zucchino on a saucepan with red pepper flakes.
  1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the linguini al dente according to package directions. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining.
  2. Build the anchovy base. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Mash the anchovy fillets in a mortar until you have a paste, then add them to the pan along with the minced garlic. Cook briefly, just until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have melted into the oil.
  3. Sauté the zucchini. Add the grated zucchini and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring constantly, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite. Don’t overcook — you want texture, not mush.
  4. Toss and serve. Add the drained linguini to the pan and toss well so the pasta soaks up all the flavors. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss until emulsified. Serve immediately with plenty of grated Parmesan on top.
A saucepan with linguini with shredded zucchini.

FAQs

A black pasta dish with linguini with zucchini and anchovies.
A black pasta dish with linguini with zucchini and anchovies, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Anchovy and Zucchine Linguine by enrilemoine

Other Easy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

A fork with a bite of linguini with zucchini and anchovies.

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A black bowl of pasta with zucchini and anchovies asprinkled with Parmesan cheese, over a wooden surface.
5 from 26 votes

Mediterranean Pasta Recipe with Zucchini and Anchovies

Linguini with sautéed zucchini, anchovies, and peperoncini: bold Mediterranean flavor, five ingredients, ready in just 15 minutes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 390kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 package linguini 456 g
  • 6 cups zucchini grated (720 g)
  • 6 garlic cloves minced (30 g)
  • 2 cans anchovy fillets in olive oil 56 g
  • Red pepper flakes peperoncini to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
  • Parmesan cheese grated to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the linguini in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the pasta cooking water before draining.
  • While the pasta cooks, mash the anchovy fillets in a mortar until you get a smooth paste.
  • Heat the 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and anchovy paste. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have melted into the oil.
  • Add the grated zucchini and red pepper flakes. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite.
  • Add the drained linguini to the pan and toss well to combine. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss until emulsified.
  • Serve immediately with plenty of grated Parmesan on top.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Mediterranean Pasta Recipe with Zucchini and Anchovies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 390 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 34mg1%
Potassium 573mg16%
Carbohydrates 61g20%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 257IU5%
Vitamin C 23mg28%
Calcium 68mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Pastas
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Anchovy and Zucchini Linguine, Anchovy and Zucchini Linguini, Anchovy and Zucchini Pasta recipe
Author: Enri

Notes

Get everything ready before you turn on the heat. This recipe moves so fast it’ll be on the table in minutes.
Enri
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49 thoughts on “Mediterranean Pasta Recipe with Zucchini and Anchovies”

  6. 5 stars
    Qué rica opción de pasta. Me recordó mucho a una receta similar que aprendí a hacer de una amiga de la familia. Aunque aquella tenía camarones. Me llama la atención el sabor de las anchoas. It must be delicious! I have to try it!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    I’ll admit that I have never tried anchovies because they just look so creepy in the can! Your pasta looks amazing, though, so I might just have to try it sometime.

    Reply

  20. 5 stars
    I have never been a huge fan of anchovies. However, I always like to give everything a try first before I reject it! It looks so yummy.

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    I have to admit, I’m not a huge anchovy fan but this looks so good I’m going to give it a try. Maybe with just half the amount of anchovies to start. 🙂

    Reply
5 from 26 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Soy Enriqueta Lemoine

I am a writer who cooks or a cook who writes: the order of the qualities does not alter the product. Since 2010 I made SAVOIR FAIRE the place where my two passions converge and now I develop recipes professionally and work as a strategist and creator of digital content, including the production of cooking videos. Read more about Enri.

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