Quick 20 Minute Pasta Dinner with Caramelized Zucchini
The whipped ricotta in this quick 20 minute pasta with caramelized zucchini flirts with a mac and cheese like texture but is ready in a flash.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pasta shells or pipe rigate work really well here
- 2 medium zucchini quartered lengthwise and sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon of half and half or heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- optional garnish: crush red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Trim the ends off your zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Slice the halves in half, lengthwise, once more so you have four long portions of zucchini. Slice the zucchini along the horizontal into ¼ inch slices then add the sliced zucchini to the skillet. Season with a couple pinches of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper then allow the zucchini to cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are browned and the zucchini is soft and almost jammy like, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook your pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
- While the pasta and zucchini cook, prep your whipped ricotta. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add in your ricotta, a tablespoon of olive oil and half-and-half (or heavy cream, and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Pulse for 15 to 30 seconds until the cheese is whipped like in texture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the whipped ricotta into a large prep or serving bowl to await the cooked pasta. Next, grate your Pecorino and Parmesan in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Once your pasta is cooked, reserve about a ¼ of a cup of pasta water then drain your pasta and add it to the large bowl with the whipped ricotta. Toss the pasta together to coat in the whipped ricotta then add in your Pecorino and Parmesan and toss together to combine to create a super creamy, cheesy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. If you want to add a bit more whipped ricotta, go for it. 😉 If you need to add pasta water to thin the sauce do that here before adding in your caramelized zucchini and tossing to combine. If no pasta water is needed, add in your zucchini and toss it all together.
- Ladle pasta in bowls and garnish with chopped fresh herbed like parsley or basil and, if using, crushed red pepper flakes.
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