An alarm bell may ring when a dish is described as “mushy” by its creator. However, Meghan Markle also characterizes her pasta sauce as “so creamy, you’d swear there’s tons of butter and oil in it.” It turns out she is correct on both fronts, and in any case, Meghan Markle’s Creamy Zucchini Bolognese takes decadent, meatless pasta to a whole new level.
I am constantly seeking ways to incorporate extra veggies into meals, as I have never heard anyone exclaim, “This tastes healthy!” and consider it a compliment. I am like a stealth operative when it comes to sneaking in green elements onto plates without anyone, including myself, noticing. With the exception of tender zucchini bread, a delightful treat that I have adored since discovering that vegetables could be dessert, I have not experimented with many secretive squash recipes—until now. The pasta of the Duchess of Sussex provides the perfect camouflage.
Rest assured, you do not need to watch Harry and Meghan’s Netflix specials, follow the British royals, or be knowledgeable about the food group to which a crumpet belongs in order to create this dish. It simmers slowly, features a minimal ingredient list—comprising only onion, zucchini, and a bouillon cube combined with pasta, Parmesan, and seasonings—and produces a sauce so velvety that you will forget about the zucchini altogether.
Here is how I prepared the Duchess’s dish. After sautéing the onions until they were tender, I added the zucchini, which quickly softened under the heat. Although it may seem like the cooking is complete when you check after an hour, the remaining four hours allow the water to evaporate and the chicken bouillon to infuse its flavors. Zucchini benefits from seasoning, and this technique accomplishes that beautifully. Do not worry about incorporating the seeds or skins; by the end of the braising process, they will practically vanish.
I cooked my rigatoni shortly before the zucchini was ready, boiling it for a minute less than the suggested time on the package for al dente perfection. Given the smooth texture of the sauce, I prefer my pasta to have some bite. Since there is no reserved pasta water, you can ensure the sauce adheres well to the noodles by draining them without rinsing. This maintains the starches, acting as a binder for the luscious zucchini sauce, along with the grated Parmesan, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes to your preference.
The juice of half a lemon amounts to roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons, but feel free to adjust the quantity to suit your taste. Season the sauce with salt and pepper as desired, and consider adding fresh herbs. I tore a few peppery basil leaves to garnish the dish, and for extra heat, I sprinkled additional red pepper flakes.
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