Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of pasta water or milk to loosen the sauce.
Zucchini Pasta (Italian Recipe)
Servings: people
This creamy zucchini pasta with Italian sausage and ricotta is everything you want in a quick summer dinner—simple, rich, and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short pasta rigatoni, mezzemaniche, or similar
- 3 medium zucchini about 18 oz / 500 g
- 6 ounces Italian sausages casing removed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons parmesan grated
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- ½ lemon the grated zest
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: Sauté 2 cloves garlic (crushed) and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until fragrant.Add 6 ounces Italian sausages (casings removed), break it up, and cook until browned.
- Sauté the Zucchini: Cut 3 medium zucchini into chunks, removing seeds if large. Add to the sausage, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until tender but still firm (about 5 minutes). Discard garlic cloves.
- Make Sauce & Cook Pasta: Cook 12 ounces short pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. In a bowl, mix 1 cup whole milk ricotta, 2 tablespoons parmesan, the zest of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ cup pasta water until smooth.
- Combine & Serve: Toss pasta with sausage and zucchini. Stir in ricotta sauce, adding more pasta water as needed. Serve hot with extra parmesan and black pepper.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Short pasta: Rigatoni or mezzemaniche are ideal. Penne, fusilli, or orecchiette also work great.
- Zucchini: Use fresh, medium zucchini. Yellow squash is a fine substitute.
- Italian sausage: Mild or spicy both work. Chicken sausage is a lighter option.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin is best, but regular or even butter will do in a pinch.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves bring more flavor than powder—worth it.
- Fennel seeds: Optional, but great for echoing classic sausage flavor.
- Parmesan: Parmigiano or Grana Padano are best. Pecorino for a sharper kick.
- Ricotta: Whole milk gives the best texture. Avoid fat-free. Mascarpone or cream cheese work too.
- Lemon zest: Optional, but brightens the dish—especially nice in summer.
- Use good sausage: Fresh Italian, mild or spicy—it's key to the flavor.
- Don’t overcook zucchini: Keep them tender with a bit of bite.
- Remove seeds: Scooping out large zucchini seeds keeps the sauce from getting watery.
- Save pasta water: It makes the sauce silky—always reserve extra.
- Whisk ricotta separately: For a smooth sauce, mix ricotta, parm, and zest with pasta water first.
- Use ridged pasta: Rigatoni, mezzemaniche, or penne catch the sauce best.
- Add lemon zest last: Keeps the flavor fresh and balances the richness.
