dinner

Summer Zucchini Pasta

Recipe by: Noreen Wasti

VG

Time: 30 minutes

SERVINGS: 4

Arise

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Bright, herbaceous and satisfying, this easy new pasta recipe by our Chef in Residence is sure to be a go-to this summer.

"Your summer pasta is here (also the solution to any excess zucchini that might come your way over the next couple months)! Zucchini rounds are cooked with garlic, thin lemon slices, and red pepper flakes until tender. Don’t fret about eating whole lemon pieces, it really mellows out as it cooks in the olive oil adding the perfect zing. The pasta is topped with pine nuts, mint, basil, and little dollops of ricotta. Arise is my choice of oil here, both for cooking and for finishing — bringing forward delicate herbaceous basil flavor." - Noreen Wasti

Ingredients

12 ounces of your favorite dry pasta (a cool shape like fusilli col buco is always fun!)
⅓ cup of Brightland Arise Basil Olive Oil, plus more to finish
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon, halved
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium size zucchini, ends trimmed and cut in thin rounds
salt, to taste
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, chopped, plus more whole leaves to garnish
1/4 cup lightly packed basil leaves, chopped, plus more whole leaves to garnish
1/2 cup ricotta

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve two cups of pasta water before straining.
Slice half the lemon very, very thinly in half moons. Reserve the other half.
Heat the Arise Basil Olive Oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the garlic, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute.
Add the zucchini rounds and season with salt. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the zucchini and lemon are tender.
Toss in the cooked pasta, mix to combine. Add pasta water as needed to create a glossy coating.
Remove from the heat. Add the juice from the remaining lemon half, pine nuts, chopped mint and basil. Toss well and taste for seasoning.
To serve, add dollops of ricotta onto the pasta with a handful of whole mint and basil leaves to garnish.
Finish with a generous drizzle of Arise Basil Olive Oil.