Pappardelle With Zucchini and Lemon

The cool mornings in the desert are the best. The afternoons are still a bit warm. This dish is for that in between type weather as it is still best not to hang out very long in the kitchen. Total time for this recipe is  about 45 minutes from start to finish. I used the fresh ricotta cheese from Trader Joe's as it is very thick and not alot of excess moisture. As you are enjoying this dish the lemon zest brings about a wonderful aroma, and the zucchini has that tender-crisp texture, what a delicious meal!


Ingredients:

Olive Oil, as needed
Shallot, 1 minced
2 zucchini, halved and then thinly sliced
Fresh ricotta cheese 3/4 cup
Zest from 1 lemon
1 pound pappardelle or wide egg noodles
Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup
Parsley to garnish

To prepare:

Making the sauce

In a heavy frying pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, add shallot and saute' until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and saute about 4 to 5 minutes. You want the zucchini tender crisp. Remove from the heat and add the ricotta and lemon zest.

Cooking the pasta:

After bringing a large pot of water to boil; add a tablespoon of salt. Then add pasta stirring occasionally so not to stick, until al dente. Remove 1/2 cup of water, then drain. Add pasta to sauce mixture, then  add as much of the pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Add grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with parsley to garnish. Enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian Food Made Fast