My sister shared this 4 ingredient summer dinner hack with me and it is an absolute lifesaver

My sister sent me this idea in the middle of a hectic workweek with the message, “You need this in your life.” She was right. This oven baked 4-ingredient Boursin zucchini pasta is the kind of summer dinner hack that feels way too easy for how good it tastes. Everything bakes together in one glass casserole dish: zucchini, a wheel of Boursin, dry pasta, and a splash of broth or water. The oven does the heavy lifting, and you end up with a creamy, herby pasta that looks like you actually tried. It’s perfect for those nights when you’re juggling work emails, kids’ activities, and still want something homemade on the table.

Serve this creamy Boursin zucchini pasta straight from the glass casserole dish with a big spoon for scooping. It’s great with a simple green salad, garlic bread, or just sliced tomatoes with salt and olive oil if you’re really short on time. A squeeze of lemon over each bowl brightens everything up, and if you’re feeding bigger appetites, pair it with grilled chicken, shrimp, or store-bought rotisserie chicken on the side. Leftovers make an easy lunch the next day—just reheat with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.

Servings: 4

8 ounces short pasta (like rotini, penne, or fusilli, uncooked)

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab a medium glass casserole dish (about 8x11 or 9x13 inches). Lightly grease it if you like, but it’s not essential since the cheese and broth will keep things from sticking.

Scatter the uncooked pasta evenly over the bottom of the glass casserole dish. Spread the sliced zucchini over the top of the pasta, doing your best to distribute it so every scoop later has some veggies mixed in.

Unwrap the Boursin cheese and place the whole round right in the center of the dish, on top of the pasta and zucchini. It will melt down and become the sauce as it bakes.

Pour the broth (or water) evenly over everything in the dish, making sure most of the pasta is submerged. Gently press down any pieces of pasta that are sticking way up above the liquid. It’s okay if a few are peeking out; they’ll soften as they bake.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. This traps the steam so the pasta can cook through without boiling it on the stove.

Bake covered for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil (watch out for steam), then give the pasta and zucchini a gentle stir around the Boursin to help it start melting into the liquid.

Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 10–15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has turned into a creamy sauce. If the pasta still seems firm and the dish looks dry, add an extra splash of hot broth or water, stir, and bake for 5 more minutes.

Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, use a large spoon to vigorously stir and mash the melted Boursin into the pasta and zucchini until the sauce looks smooth and creamy and everything is well coated.

Let the dish sit for 3–5 minutes on the counter; the sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Serve warm, scooping straight from the glass casserole dish with a big spoon so you get a mix of noodles, roasted zucchini, and creamy herb cheese in every serving.

You can easily tweak this lifesaver dinner without making it any more complicated. For extra protein, stir in a cup of cooked shredded rotisserie chicken or a drained can of white beans right after baking, then let it sit a few minutes to warm through. If you like a little kick, add red pepper flakes or cracked black pepper after it comes out of the oven (keeping the base recipe at 4 ingredients). Swap in any flavor of Boursin you like—shallot & chive or black pepper both work well. If you only have water instead of broth, that’s totally fine; just taste and season lightly with salt at the table if needed. For a bit of color and crunch, you can top the finished pasta with a handful of halved cherry tomatoes or a sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs, but again, keep them optional to maintain the simple 4-ingredient core. Food safety tips: Make sure the pasta is cooked to at least 165°F in the center of the dish if you’re adding pre-cooked meats afterward so the whole casserole is piping hot. If you add any raw meat (like diced chicken), it must be fully cooked to 165°F in the thickest pieces before serving, which may require extra baking time and stirring. Cool leftovers within 2 hours, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and eat within 3–4 days, reheating until steaming hot before serving.