Pasta Con Zucchini - an easy traditional Italian pasta with seasonal zucchini, ricotta, parmesan, and penne. Gluten free & vegan adaptable.
This is about to become your new favorite pasta - tender golden fried zucchini is tossed with creamy ricotta and al dente penne. Topped with lots of parmesan, it is the perfect creamy bite. A little heat from red pepper flakes and a touch of acidity from lemon juice make this dish shine!
Reasons to love this recipe!
- An easy 30 minute meal featuring seasonal produce.
- A simple 7 ingredient meal that tastes like it was made by an Italian nonna.
- Can be made both vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Penne - or another pasta shape. Feel free to use gluten free pasta.
- Olive oil - for searing the zucchini.
- Zucchini - or another summer squash variety.
- Red pepper flakes - optional, for a little heat. Or substitute your favorite dried chili.
- Garlic
- Ricotta - traditional or vegan.
- Lemon juice - brightens up the dish with some needed acitidy.
- Parmesan - traditional or vegan.
- Salt and pepper - to taste.
- Parsley - optional, to garnish.
How to make Pasta Con Zucchini:
Cook the pasta: Cook your pasta according to the package directions, leaving it al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. You may need it later to bring the sauce together.
Fry the zucchini: Heat half of the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Once hot, add in the zucchini, fry until the bottom side is golden, then flip. Season the top with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the second side is golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Make the sauce: To the pan, add the remaining oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
Combine with the cheese: Add the pasta, lemon, and ricotta to the pan. Toss until creamy, adding in a splash of pasta water if needed. Stir in the zucchini and top with parmesan cheese and parsley.
Leftovers?
Fridge: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
Freezer: Freezing is not recommended for this recipe.
More tasty pasta recipes!
Pasta Con Zucchini with Ricotta and Parmesan
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Pasta Con Zucchini - an easy traditional Italian pasta with seasonal zucchini, ricotta, parmesan, and penne. Gluten free & vegan adaptable.
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne
- 4 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 2 large or 4 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup ricotta
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
Cook your pasta according to the package directions, leaving it al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. You may need it later to bring the sauce together.
Heat half of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the zucchini, fry until the bottom side is golden, about 3-5 minutes then flip. Season the top with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the second side is golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. You may need to cook the zucchini in two batches. Add more oil to the pan between batches if needed.
To the pan, add the remaining oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
Add the pasta, lemon, and ricotta to the pan. Toss until creamy, adding in a splash of pasta water if needed. Stir in the zucchini and top with parmesan cheese and parsley.
Notes
Pasta: You can use traditional or gluten free pasta. Penne is called for but other shapes like fussili, or rigatoni work well.
Ricotta: use traditional or vegan. For vegan I like Kite Hill for store bought, and this easy almond ricotta for homemade.
Parmesan: use traditional or make your own vegan parmesan.
Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving. Freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe (with dairy cheeses)
- Calories: 465
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 149mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 77mg
I love a good pasta dish! What I love even more is it is only 30 minutes! And you only need 7 ingredients! So good!
Pasta! Who doesn't love pasta! This recipe is amazing that it has no dairy and still tastes as though it does. Love it!
Wait...what?
Hi Lauren, we provide dairy-free recommendations in the post so this dish can be made dairy free :)
Big fan of this one! Love the flavor from the zucchini and garlic and the creamy ricotta. So simple, easy to make and delish. Will make again soon!
Delicious and simple. Even my reluctant zucchini eaters liked this.
Thank you for the review Rachel!!
This is an amazing summer meal! I already shared this recipe with my coworkers, and my husband licked the bowl clean. I added a splash of Sauvignon Blanc to the pan when I simmered the garlic and red pepper flakes. I saved this recipe and we’ll be having it again, mainly because of how incredibly fast it came together. Delish!