You’ll adore all the Italian flavors in this 30-minute Pork Zucchini Skillet Dinner. It’s filling, family-friendly, and easy to make, too!
Table of contents
Pork Zucchini Pasta Ragu
I don’t know about your family, but Italian food and pasta rank pretty high on my family’s list of favorite foods. My husband Brian would probably say it is his favorite!
Although we could eat our fair share of spaghetti or lasagna or baked ziti or whatever, sometimes, I like something just a little bit different. This Pork-Zucchini Skillet Dinner is a quick and simple family meal that’s sure to please!
Imagine a pasta dish with bits of crumbled pork and zucchini, and you have this dish, more or less. Believe it or not, it’s surprisingly family-friendly. I’ve seen very few kids turn it down even though there are veggies in it. After all, it’s pasta!
In fact, this is probably my favorite school-time meal. Why? Well, we all know that with the school year comes the need for quick and easy meal ideas for both the kids and grown-ups in your life.
If you’re looking for something a little different that won’t keep you stuck in the kitchen, be sure to give this Pork-Zucchini Skillet Dinner a try! I hope you enjoy it!
Pork Ragu: Ingredients & Equipment
For this Pork & Zucchini Pasta Ragu recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
- penne – cooked to package directions. No need to do anything fancy!
- olive oil – to cook your pork and onion.
- pork and onion – the first things you’ll cook. Make sure you’ve crumbled the pork and chopped the onion before cooking it! By the way, you can use 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. of boneless pork chops, cut into bite-sized cubes, in place of the ground pork.
- stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce – after cooking your pork and onion, you’ll add these to start getting that Italian flavor going!
- Italian seasoning – if you don’t have this in your pantry already, this is easily found at the grocery store. And if that still doesn’t work, you may be able to make it at home since it’s generally a mixture of rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley, and a few other common herbs!
- zucchini – cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/4th pieces. This is the last thing you’ll add to the pork ragu.
- parmesan cheese – optional. For serving when it’s all done.
Equipment
- large skillet – one thing I love about this recipe, y’all? You only need ONE skillet to make it, and that’s it. No extra clean-up!
How to make Pork Zucchini Skillet Dinner
First, cook your pasta and pork. Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the oil. Cook and crumble the pork with the onion over medium heat until the pork is no longer pink.
Second, add your veggies and seasoning. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 7 minutes.
Third, add zucchini. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender-crisp.
Finally, enjoy your pork ragu! Serve it immediately with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Pork Zucchini Pasta Ragu: FAQs
This is a fast recipe of just half an hour. You’ll need 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time!
This should make enough for six servings.
This pork ragu should be good for 2-3 days in the fridge if you use an airtight container. You can also freeze it for about a month.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Pork Zucchini Skillet Dinner
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 – 1 ½ pounds ground pork
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 can stewed tomatoes 29 oz.
- 1 can tomato sauce 16 oz.
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 medium zucchini cut half lengthwise and then into 1/4-inch slices
- Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the oil. Cook and crumble the pork with the onion over medium heat until the pork is no longer pink.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover and cook for 7 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender-crisp.
- Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. of boneless pork chops, cut into bite-sized cubes, can be used in place of the ground pork.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on July 31, 2013. Updated on February 16, 2023.
thecookssister
Hi Jamie — I've nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award (http://bit.ly/12Gwfc6)! I love your blog, creative recipes, and friendly and approachable writing style.
Shauna Smart
I love that you put zucchini in this recipe! Thanks for linking up at The Weekend re-Treat Link Party on The Best Blog Recipes!
Pinned to my Link Party Recipe board while I was here tonight 🙂
Shauna @ The Best Blog Recipes
Linda @ With A Blast
Looks great, Jamie ! I am always glad to find new recipes for pork .. somehow, it is not very huge in blogland/cyberspace 😉
Emily Glover
Yum this sounds good! We are all about pasta and italian food! Came over from the Craftionary link party. Pinning this!
Miz Helen
We have lots of Zucchini for this recipe right now. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Michelle
I like that this is a lighter pasta dish. Good for summer. Sometimes I crave pasta, but things like lasagna & spaghetti & meatballs are just too heavy for this time of year. Thank you for linking, Jamie!
Lita
Thanks for coming by Saturday Dishes.
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
Trish - Mom On Timeout
This look fantastic! Pinned to my zucchini board 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
Joan Hayes
Jamie, I'm always on the lookout for more Zucchini recipes, this pasta sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing at Thursday's Treasures, I'm featuring you this week!
sidesist
Another delish pasta recipe to try! I love zucchini. Thank you for sharing!