Beef Tenderloin over Lemony Spaghetti
with Zucchini and Chili Flakes
- Wheat
Love chicken alfredo? Then you’ll adore this dreamy dish. It’s a sophisticated riff on the classic with tons more flavor infused into every bite. There’s Italian-spiced chicken, tender zucchini, and al dente spaghetti all coated in a creamy, cheesy, lemon-spiked sauce. It’s hearty, yet light, and guaranteed to put a smile on any pasta-lover’s face.
Ingredients
¼ cup
Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
1 unit
Zucchini
10 ounce
Beef Tenderloin Steak
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Lemon
1 clove
Garlic
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
6 ounce
Spaghetti
(Contains: Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Olive Oil
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Trim and quarter zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Peel and mince garlic. Zest and quarter lemon.
• Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain. (Keep empty pot handy for step 5.)
• While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. • Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.
• Meanwhile, pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper. • Once zucchini is done, heat a large drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. • Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board to rest. • Once cool enough to handle, slice chicken crosswise.
Swap in beef for chicken; cook to desired doneness, 4-7 minutes per side. Let rest at least 5 minutes, then thinly slice crosswise
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in pot used for spaghetti over medium-high heat. Add garlic, half the lemon zest, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 20-30 seconds. • Stir in ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water (¾ cup for 4 servings), stock concentrate, and juice from two lemon wedges (four wedges for 4). Simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Add drained spaghetti, zucchini, sour cream, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) to pot with sauce; toss to coat. • Add half the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until spaghetti is coated in a creamy sauce. • Divide pasta between bowls. Top with chicken, remaining Parmesan, remaining lemon zest, and a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the bright, lemony pasta; some found it refreshing and perfect for summer 🍋.
- Ease of prep: Customers praised how quick and easy this meal was to prepare, even after a long workday.
- Suggestions: Consider going light on the chili flakes if sensitive to spice; some found it unexpectedly hot.
- Leftovers: Several mentioned it reheated well, with some saying it tasted even better the next day.
- Portions: Some wanted more zucchini and less pasta; others felt the chicken pieces were too small.
Reviews from our home cooks
This was an amazing dish! We upgraded our protein to beef tenderloin. The meat was so tender. And the sauce gives the pasta a wonderful buttery, lemony, parmesan taste. It was even better as leftovers. None of this meal was wasted at our house!
This was much better than I expected! The lemon chili flake sauce made the noodles interesting and featured, rather than just a carb afterthought. I appreciated the ease of this recipe given the reward in flavor.
This was delicious the zucchini was a great touch and the lemon sauce on the noodles gave it great flavor. The chicken was well seasoned and tied the whole meal together. a drizzle of lemon juice was perfect to finish it off. This meal was delicious and satisfying.
Really good. Loved the fresh, summery taste of the lemon and zucchini. I also added cherry tomatoes. A little red pepper flake added a nice zing. Would definitely make again.
I didn't think I would like it at first because I'm a picky eater. But the lemon flavor was so delicate/light. I tasted it but it was just right. I never tasted another type of spaghetti other than the regular tomato and meatballs. This was a nice move I loved it completely.
Double the zucchini, add grape or Roma tomatoes. Could also add a small bag of broccoli to get more veggies. Cut back 1/2 on the Italian seasoning, double dairy ingredients for a heartier cream sauce and limit to about 8 flakes of red pepper. Really enjoyed the lemon, pepper Way too much heat for this dish.
This is a classic delicious flavor profile for me. I love lemony, garlic pasta. Who knew how much I loved zucchini until I started using HelloFresh.
Never had zucchini and any lemony pasta, but this once hits a strike. I think I'll start buying zucchini.
Was really good, n at first I was skeptical of the lemon spaghetti but it was really good! My favorite part, paired really well with the chicken
This pasta was refreshing and different from the pasta we normally have. We enjoyed it a lot! Especially with the chili flakes 🌶
