Make this decadent yet light Zucchini and Ricotta Pasta dish soon. Wide tagliatelle noodles with roasted zucchini wrapped up in a delicious lemon ricotta sauce. Perfect for summer dinners.
Hey there friends! I’m bringing you a simple and tasty Pasta dish today. If you’ve been following for any time at all, you’ll know I love easy pasta dishes. It’s a great way to get dinner on the table in a hurry and is often budget friendly as well. We have a pasta dish every week for dinner and it’s usually Monday. Do you have any days of the week dedicated to certain meals?
Love Zucchini? Get More Summer Zucchini Recipes!
What Is This Pasta Dish Like
- Difficulty – This is an easy dish to make that takes only 10 minutes to prep and cooks pretty quickly on the stove. But you do have to roast the zucchini which does add about 30 minutes to the recipe.
- Taste – This is a decadent dish that has a mild ricotta flavour. It’s very creamy and rich tasting.
- Serving – This makes 4 servings as a main course. You have to serve this dish fresh from the stove for best results. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can change the serving size to suit your dinner table!
Ingredients
- Zucchini – Zucchini is a great seasonal ingredient to use in summer. It cooks easily, is versatile and adds a lovely flavour to many dishes.
- Olive oil – I used extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt – Salt is used for roasting the zucchini as well as adding a touch to the pasta dish.
- Pasta – This recipe used tagliatelle pasta. Tagliatelle pasta is a long ribbion pasta that you should easily find at your local supermarket.
- Garlic – I used fresh minced garlic
- Ricotta cheese – Soft ricotta cheese makes this sauce light, decadent and delicous.
- Pasta water – Using pasta helps thin out the sauce and give it a velvety consistency.
- Parmesan cheese – Fresh grated parmesan cheese is added at the end for an extra layer of richness for the sauce.
- Lemon zest – I added zest of one whole lemon to give this dish a fresh lemony flavour.
- Basil – Fresh basil is very aromatic and has a sweet flavour. I added fresh chopped basil to the finished dish for more flavour.
NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Instructions
- Roast zucchini – Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Evenly spread the zucchini in a baking dish and drizzle over two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of the salt. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the zucchini is soft and slightly golden. Remove from oven.
- Cook pasta – While the zucchini is cooking, cook the pasta according to package drain and set aside. Set aside one cup of the pasta water.
- Make sauce – In a large skillet set over medium heat add the remaining olive and garlic and bring to a sizzle. Add the ricotta cheese and stir until it becomes smooth. Add the pasta water and continue to stir and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low.
- Assemble pasta dish – Add the cooked pasta, roasted zucchini, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, remaining salt and fresh basil. Stir really well to combine and serve fresh and hot.
Recipe Tips
- Multi task – While your zucchini is cooking, you can get on with cooking the pasta and making the sauce. This means that the sauce and the pasta should both be done at about the same time.
- Slowly add the liquid – It’s important to slowly add the pasta water and whisk as you pour. This will ensure that the sauce is smooth with no lumps.
Substitutions
- Tagliatelle pasta – You could used penne, rigatoni, fusilli or even spaghetti.
- Ricotta cheese – Although I love Ricotta cheese for this dish, Mascarpone would be a good alternative.
- Herbs – I used fresh basil for a fragrant taste, but you could easily add fresh parsley in this pasta dish.
Serving
- Salads – A fresh salad to go on the side of this would work really well. Why not take a look at the Mediterranean Tossed Salad or the Classic Caprice Salad.
- Breads – Of course you can serve with pasta! Garlic Knots are one of our family favourites and even the Rustic Loaf would be great.
- As part of a bigger main course – Yes, this pasta dish would also work as a side in smaller portions. I think it would work wonderful with the Stuffing Topped Roasted Turkey Tenderloin or even the Stove Top Lemon Chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta cheese is a soft and mild Italian cheese. It’s great used in many pasta dishes, adding as a topping on bruschetta, toast or as a spread in a sandwich.
What does the prep time include in a recipe?
I get asked this question all the time. The prep time includes exactly how much time it takes to prepare the ingredients for cooking. For example, chopping, peeling, mixing, etc. It does not include the time it takes to get yourself organised, get pots and pans and get ingredients in place. It also does not include any cooking time.
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Baked Zucchini Pasta
This Baked Zucchini Pasta is a great mid week comfort. Tender pasta noodles with sauteed zucchini in a rich tomato sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella cheese. Make in advance, pop it in the fridge and bake when ready.
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Zucchini and Ricotta Pasta
Make this decadent yet light Zucchini and Ricotta Pasta dish soon. Wide tagliatelle noodles with roasted zucchini wrapped up in a delicious lemon ricotta sauce. Perfect for summer dinners.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 272kcal
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini ends trimmed, cut in half length ways and cut into slices
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 8 oz tagliatelle pasta
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup pasta water
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Evenly spread the zucchini in a baking dish and drizzle over two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of the salt. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the zucchini is soft and slightly golden. Remove from oven.
- While the zucchini is cooking, cook the pasta according to package drain and set aside. Set aside one cup of the pasta water.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat add the remaining olive and garlic and bring to a sizzle. Add the ricotta cheese and stir until it becomes smooth. Add the pasta water and continue to stir and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low.
- Add the cooked pasta, roasted zucchini, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, remaining salt and fresh basil. Stir really well to combine and serve fresh and hot.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Nutrition Facts
Zucchini and Ricotta Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 272
Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 1691mg74%
Potassium 373mg11%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 717IU14%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 295mg30%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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