A silky zucchini cream sauce that's packed with a surprising amount of protein. You will need a blender but I promise it's worth it—plus you'll be shocked by how quickly it all comes together.
I first made this sauce to use on pizza but the batch was a little too big and leftovers got tucked in the fridge. For dinner a few days later I tossed the sauce with some spaghetti and pasta water. The pizza was good but the pasta was great, so decided to develop it a little further. Now it's one of my favourite summer dishes.
Why I love this recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes: It’s delicious, satisfying and comes together surprisingly quickly.
- Low ingredient list: We get lots of flavour with just a few ingredients by playing around with different textures.
- Great for Leftovers: It tastes just as good the next day, making it a meal that keeps on giving.
I love a summer pasta that highlights seasonal produce. This is a great one but I also like this sungold orzotto and this summer squash and chickpea orecchiette and especially this really nice basil pesto.
Ingredients
I told you there was a short ingredients list and I wasn't lying:
- Zucchini
- Ricotta
- Lemon
- Lasta
- Salt
Get the exact quantities in the recipe card below!
Instructions
You got this...I promise!
- Step 1: Sauté ⅔ of the zucchini until soft and slightly browned.
- Step 2: Blend the zucchini with ricotta and lemon until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
- Step 3: Fry remaining zucchini until browned and crispy.
- Step 4: Toss pasta with blended sauce and top with fried zucchini coins.
Hint: To make this one even quicker you can skip the fried zucchini coins and instead top with parmesan. If you're missing that added texture chop up some toasted nuts, like pistachio or pecans.
Equipment
Whenever I make this I'm amazed at how few dishes are in the sink afterwards. You'll need a blender, pasta pot and pan—for the latter I prefer using stainless steel. It's great for getting a little browning while sautéing, which helps bring flavour to our zucchini cream sauce.
Storage
This sauce is incredibly forgiving, making it a good candidate for leftovers. Just splash a few tablespoons of water over the pasta before reheating to help loosen the sauce. However, the fried zucchini sauce will loose their crunch, so those are best enjoyed night of!
Ingredients
Method
- Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Meanwhile, roughly slice ⅔ zucchini into rounds —the thickness doesn't matter but they should all be roughly the same size. Use a mandolin to thinly slice the remaining zucchini into very thin coins and set aside.
- Heat a medium pan on high and add 2 tablespoon oil. Once hot, add the roughly sliced zucchinis and let cook until completely soft and slightly browned. The trick is to avoid stirring and instead let them brown on one side before tossing.
- Transfer the zucchini to a blender and add 1 cup ricotta and the juice of 1 lemon. Set the pan aside, we're going to use it again in a minute. Blend the zucchini until smooth, then season with salt to taste. By now the water should be boiling. Drop the pasta and cook to al dente.
- Back in the pan, add ¼ cup olive oil and heat on medium-high. Place a few sheets of paper towel on a large plate and set aside. Working in batches, add the thinly sliced zucchini and fry until deep golden brown. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
- Reserve 2 cups pasta water and drain the rest. Transfer the cooked pasta back to the pot and top with zucchini cream sauce. Toss, gradually adding a bit of pasta water at a time, until the pasta is coated in a loose sauce. You might not use all the pasta water, but it should look a little looser than you think because it will thicken quickly on the plate.
- Serve immediately topped with fried zucchini coins and enjoy!
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