Summer dinners aren't just about grilling, and this Summer Vegetable Ricotta Pesto Pasta proves it! Fresh zucchini, tomatoes, and basil pesto team up with creamy ricotta and your favorite pasta in a dreamy summer dinner that's perfect for date night!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pesto pasta
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 989kcal
Author Erica
Ingredients
½cuppine nuts or walnuts
2cupsbasilpacked, plus more for garnish
1clovegarlicminced
½ cupParmesan cheesegrated, plus more for garnish
⅓cupolive oilplus more if needed
Kosher saltto taste
12ouncespastafettucine or linguine
½oniondiced
1 zucchinisliced
1yellow squashsliced
1pintgrape tomatoes
1 cupricotta cheese
1lemonzested
½teaspoonred pepper flakesplus more for garnish
Instructions
Toast pine nuts or walnuts in a skillet set over medium heat until golden, tossing occasionally.
Add the nuts to the bowl of a blender or food processor with fresh basil, minced garlic, and Parmesan. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
With the blender/processor running, drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream until the pesto comes together and is well combined. Drizzle more if needed to reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta as directed on box to al dente. Drain and reserve 3/4 cup pasta water.
Saute diced onion, zucchini, and tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in half the pasta water, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Stir until creamy, adding more pasta water as needed. Add pesto and stir to combine.
Add pasta to skillet and toss with sauce and veggies. Serve with more grated parmesan and red pepper.
Notes
This recipe would be equally delicious with some protein. Try adding sliced chicken breast or crumbled Italian sausage for a meaty meal option.