The PASTA WITH RICOTTA, ZUCCHINI CREAM AND SPECK is a tasty first course, also ideal as a main dish for a quick summer lunch, thanks to its richness and the perfect nutritional balance of the ingredients that compose it. It’s a quick dish to prepare, but not ordinary: you’ll see how many compliments you’ll receive…
This first course owes its goodness to the balance of the sauce ingredients and, of course, to the perfect cooking of a good short-shaped Italian pasta that holds the sauce well. Sweet and creamy ricotta pairs wonderfully with the savory notes of speck, while grated zucchini add freshness and the right density to the sauce. The pasta will be perfectly dressed and the sauce will be creamy even without the presence of cream or other fats. In fact, despite its richness, the dish does not go overboard in cholesterol, and this is another point in its favor, together with its deliciousness, which in the kitchen is always the most important thing.
SEE OTHER FIRST COURSES WITH RICOTTA:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta
- 2 zucchini (large)
- 1 1/4 cup cow's ricotta
- 3.5 oz speck
- 1 glass (about 3/4 cup) milk
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Pot
Steps
The preparation of PASTA WITH RICOTTA, ZUCCHINI CREAM AND SPECK is simple and quick.
Wash and trim the zucchini. Grate them into strips, place them in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and let them rest for 20 minutes. This will draw out part of their water content.
In a large frying pan add a drizzle of oil and heat it. Add the well-squeezed zucchini, season lightly with salt and cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water.
In a bowl place the ricotta and the milk, season with salt and pepper. Mix everything, transfer to the pan with the zucchini and let it absorb the flavors.
Slice the speck into strips and sauté them in the pan, without adding extra fat, until they become crispy.
Drain the pasta into the pan with the sauce, add part of the speck and, if necessary, a splash of the pasta cooking water and toss to combine.
Plate the pasta with ricotta, zucchini cream and speck and garnish each plate with additional strips of crispy speck.
Enjoy it hot and creamy.
