Farfalle Pasta with Zucchini and Lemon-Cream Sauce

Lightly cooked fresh zucchini slices and tender bow tie pasta combine with a creamy lemon-basil sauce made with whole milk ricotta and mascarpone cheese for an easy summer supper.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 534 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon peel, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain the farfalle well in a colander set in the sink.

Step 2

While the farfalle are boiling, mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, and Parmesan cheeses in a large serving bowl, and stir in the lemon peel and basil until the mixture is well combined.

Step 3

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the zucchini and garlic until the zucchini are tender but still bright in color, about 8 minutes. Stir about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the cheese mixture and mix until smooth; add the hot drained pasta and cooked zucchini, and lightly toss with the sauce. Season with the salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick, add a little more pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is the desired thickness.