This zuchinni ricotta penne pasta is a vegetarian pasta dish that celebrates the end of the summer. Zuchinni, parmesan, and penne are enveloped in a creamy herby sauce. Then it’s finished off with some ricotta for little fanciness and freshness. This is perfect for date night at home.
I love making a really good vegetarian dish. I mean, meat is just so accessible in the modern world. When was the last time you butchered an animal? Or plucked a chicken? I was a young teenager the last time I did anything like that. Some of you may have never done it! This is why it’s nice to create a recipe that uses something you’re more likely to have created/grown yourself (i.e. zuchinni!). It’s also a great reminder that dinner doesn’t have to be meat-centric!
Another thing I like is that even though this is a pasta dish (and a pasta in a creamy sauce no less!) it doesn’t weigh you down. It is just the right amount of filling. You’ve got some fiber from the vegetables and some protein from the dairy. It’s all well rounded. But, more importantly, it is flippin’ delicious.
This is also basically a one pot dish. Like sure you use another pot to boil pasta but how hard is that to clean? You don’t even need elbow grease to clean that 😀
I think this may be the first pasta recipe I’ve ever published on this site. How weird is that?! Pasta is a go-to weekly dinner for me. I’ve definitely gotta fill up the archives with more pasta recipes. I only realized it when I was writing that heading below. Oh well, for now just enjoy some other vegetarian recipes! I’ve got plenty of those 🙂
My other favorite pasta vegetarian dishes
Dad’s Favorite Vegetarian Pesto, Squash, and Sunflower Seed Pizza
20 minute Vegetarian Chickpea Minestrone Soup (Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot)
Zuchinni Ricotta Penne Pasta
A creamy vegetarian dish that is light but filling.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta Note 1
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 1 large zuchinni, sliced into half moons
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried dill
- 5 cranks fresh black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 cup milk Note 2
- ½ cup broth Note 2
- 2 ounces parmesan, finely grated
- ¼ cup rough chopped parsley
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta
For serving
- fresh ground black pepper
- grated parmesan
- salt
- rough chopped parsley
Instructions
-
Boil the pasta in salty water for 8-10 minutes. Save a bit of the cooking water!
-
Heat up a large sautee pan on medium heat. Add the oil, onion, zuchinni, and spices and herbs. Stir to combine then let them cook, uninterrupted, for 5 minutes to get some browning action going. Stir again then let them brown on the other side. Remove cooked veggies to a bowl.
-
Lower the heat. In the same sautee pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until a paste forms. Cook for a minute or two or until the paste reaches a very pale blonde color. Slowly whisk in the milk, and then the broth, until a smooth creamy sauce forms. Add parmesan and melt it in the sauce. Take a taste test and see if the sauce needs any more salt or any other flavors.
-
Add the cooked vegetablesand cooked penne back into the sautee pan. If the sauce seem a bit stodgy/thick then pour in some reserved pasta water to help loosen it!
-
Turn off the heat. Add the rough chopped parsley, mix it in. Then dollop the ricotta on top of the pasta. Cover the pan with a lid and let sit for 5-7 minutes so the ricotta can get a bit warm.
-
Serve warm with extra parsley, parmesan, pepper, salt (you get the idea!) as wanted. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: 8 ounces makes for 2 large and filling servings. You can easily reduce it to 6 ounces of pasta if you have a smaller appetite.
Note 2: You can use all milk (any fat % will work but whole milk is the creamiest) but I usually cut my whole milk with a bit of broth because broth adds flavor 🙂
