I Tried Meghan Markle’s 3-Ingredient Summer Pasta—Here’s My Honest Review

As someone who cooks for a living, I know that sometimes the best recipes come from the most unexpected places. That being said, it took me a minute to wrap my brain around Megan Markle’s vegetarian take on Bolognese sauce. While she claimed in a 2018 interview that cooking zucchini for hours with only water and a bouillon cube created a creamy sauce perfect for pasta, I was skeptical. I like Meghan Markle, but liking her doesn’t mean that I trust her culinary instincts. Could I really cook zucchini for hours and somehow create what Markle dubbed “filthy, sexy mush,” let alone a dish worth eating? I was determined to try.

What’s In Meghan Markle’s Zucchini Pasta Recipe?
I couldn’t find Markle’s exact recipe, but after perusing the internet, I was able to piece together the basics. The dish, according to most, involved zucchini, bouillon cube, and water. Some added onion and garlic, but others stuck with the simpler, 2-ingredient version.

As for method, again, there’s a bit of variation. Several versions cook the onion and zucchini first in oil, then add the water and bouillon and cook for several hours. Others drop it all in the pot and let it simmer on the stove, babysitting it for 4-5 hours. This seemed like a long time to be manning the stove for a summer dish, so I did what all time-strapped people do: I problem-solved.

As a busy human, I knew I didn’t want to spend four hours of my life stirring zucchini, so I pulled out the ultimate time-saving kitchen gadget: my Instant Pot! Since it can cook a full dish in a matter of minutes, I knew it could tackle some slow-cooked zucchini.

I dropped in chopped zucchini and onion and then mixed bouillon with only a quarter cup of water before adding that in, too. That was a last-minute judgment call, but I knew that zucchini is mostly water, which would get released as it cooked. The tight lid would prevent it from escaping, unlike if I cooked it in a skillet on the stove, so that meant I didn’t need to add much additional water. I also knew that sealing the contents would benefit the flavor of the dish, allowing the zucchini and bouillon to fully season the cooking liquid.

After one hour of cooking on manual at high pressure with a natural release, the zucchini was tender and ready to be tossed with pasta.

My Review of Meghan Markle’s Zucchini Pasta
Unlike other versions I had seen on the internet—which looked brown and mushy—my batch looked pretty darn good. Thanks to the Instant Pot, I didn’t have to stir it too much, which allowed the zucchini to hold its shape. I tossed it with pasta and tried it as-is and liked it, but didn’t think it was anything special. So I added some Parmesan cheese, basil, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. That made it much better!

I don’t see myself making this dish again, but I wouldn’t let that stop you. Most of my dislikes are based on my personal preferences. For example, I love textural contrast in my food and this really didn’t have any. I also appreciate layers of flavor, and again, this dish fell short (until I added my favorite garnishes). It’s also time-consuming, even if you’re making it in the Instant Pot.

My advice? Do a quick sauté of your zucchini and toss that with some pasta along with some pesto, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and pine nuts. It’s way faster, and just as delicious, if not more. However, if do you want to give it a try, here’s my version of Meghan’s recipe.

How to Make Meghan Markle’s Zucchini Pasta
Serves: 4

Ingredients
¼ cup water

1 low-sodium chicken bouillon cube

3 medium zucchini, quartered then cut into ½-inch slices

1 small onion, diced (optional)

12 ounces cooked pasta of your choice, cooked

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Fresh basil (optional)

Red pepper flakes and/or black pepper (optional)

Instructions
Combine water and bouillon cube and add to the Instant Pot along with the chopped zucchini and onion, if using. Seal with the lid and cook on manual mode for 1 hour.
Allow to release naturally for 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the zucchini to a large bowl along with cooked pasta. Add extra cooking liquid as desired. Garnish with Parmesan, basil, and pepper or red pepper flakes, and enjoy.