Summer Pasta With Zucchini, Ricotta and Basil
Updated July 3, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1small onion, finely diced
- 2pounds zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces (for larger zucchini, cut in half lengthwise before slicing)
- Salt and pepper
- 2garlic cloves, minced, or 2 tablespoons chopped green garlic
- 1ounce basil, about 2 cups loose leaves
- 1pound ziti or other dry pasta
- 8ounces ricotta, about 1 cup (see recipe)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2ounces grated Parmesan, pecorino or a mixture, about 1 cup, plus more for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
450 calories; 12 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 722 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- Step 3
Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
- Step 4
Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add ½ cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a very versatile dish, that can be adapted to a number of variations. I'd suggest cooking the garlic with the onions (it won't burn, you're sweating everything) and to halve and core the zucchini before slicing - makes them less watery in the finished dish. I'd also brown the zucchini to give the dish more crunch. If you don't have or like ricotta, use good farmer cheese or even a soft goat brie or feta and Romano. Any way you make it following the basic instructions will be delicious!
I've made this twice. What I've found is that combining the ricotta, red pepper flakes and zest separately in a large bowl along with just enough pasta water produces a nice smooth sauce. Next, the basil paste can be added and then the drained pasta. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Finally, add this mixture to the zucchini/onion pan and stir to combine and add the grated cheese last. This produces a more consistent dish with all the pasta well coated with the sauce.
I gave this five stars; my husband, who is a tough grader, gives it only four. No matter, it is delicious, and very filling. We deliberately let some of the onions and zucchini get very brown to add depth. Sauteed a handful of halved cherry tomatoes for brightness. A deluge prevented me from going outside to harvest basil, but a cube of frozen pesto (from last summer) was a fine substitute.
This is a satisfying and unfussy pasta. I followed the recipe except… I didn’t pay close attention to onions and zucchini on highish heat, so onions were browned and zucchini was well browned/cooked to near mushy. I added garlic before taking off heat and added leftover pesto to taste instead of starting with fresh basil. I used more cheese than recommended because I didn’t measure, just added until it looked deliciously cheesy. Also, I was cleaning the fridge of zucchini abundance, so the zucchini were past prime. It tasted great despite all that. Note: without a sturdy al dente pasta (I used penne), it could have gone sloppy. This belongs in the late summer rotation.
Way too much cheese for my taste, and as others have mentioned the amount of pasta can be halved for more balanced combo of starch and veggies.
I omitted the garlic and basil and replaced it with some prepared pesto. This was one of the most delicious pastas I have made...