Pasta with zucchini and ricotta: a quick, creamy summer sauce
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Zucchini and ricotta pasta sauce
Pasta with zucchini and ricotta is one of the quickest summer dishes in Italian home cooking, ready in about 20 minutes. The zucchini are sautéed over high heat until some are deeply browned and almost caramelized, then finished with garlic, basil and spoonfuls of fresh ricotta that melt into a light, creamy sauce. At our cooking classes in Tuscany we use small, pale green zucchini, which are sweet and tender.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 small zucchini (about 750 g / 1½ lb)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- About 20 basil leaves
- 100 g (3½ oz) fresh, soft ricotta, not ricotta salata (optional)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 500 g (1 lb) pasta
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini into thin rounds, about 2 mm (1/16 in) thick.
- Heat a generous swirl of olive oil in a heavy frying pan and sauté the zucchini over high heat until some are very brown (almost burnt!).
- Add the garlic, cook for 5 seconds, then turn off the heat and keep stirring so the garlic flavors the zucchini without burning. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, a minute or two less than the package says.
- In a warmed bowl, toss the pasta with the zucchini, a swirl of raw olive oil and a little of the pasta cooking water if needed.
- If using, add the ricotta a little at a time, mixing well (a few small lumps add texture). Tear in the basil leaves and stir.
Notes
Pasta quantities are very personal. For a light sauce like this one, allow about 80 g (3 oz) of pasta per person as a main course, or 50–60 g (2 oz) as a starter.
This sounds great, but I’m confused…is the Ricotta the fresh soft version, or Ricotta Salata? I haven’t tried this yet and want to make sure I have the correct ingredients. Thanks for the recipe and in advance for your response!
Please use only fresh (soft) Ricotta.