Lemon Ricotta Penne with Mushrooms and Zucchini
Author: this little italian
Recipe type: Entree
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Serves 4
Lemon Ricotta Penne with Mushrooms and Zucchini is a creamy, delicious alternative to Pasta Primavera!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Penne
- 1 lb of whole milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup of mascarpone cheese
- 3 lemons (juice, zest & garnish)
- ½ cup Pecorino cheese
- Olive oil
- Splash of cream
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 8 oz package of Enoki mushrooms rough chop
- 3 zucchini cut into ½” thick circles
- 8 oz fresh plum tomatoes cut in half
- 1 can Northern beans
- Handful of Kalamata olives, rough chop
- Seasonings
- Salt and Pepper plus these dried herbs:
- Tbsp oregano
- Tbsp parsley
- Tbsp basil
- Tbsp dill weed
- Tsp rosemary
- Tsp coriander
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Creamy cheesy sauce:
- In a bowl whisk together the ricotta and Mascarpone. Add the zest and juice of 2 lemons. Add the Pecorino and gently whisk in the olive oil until it becomes creamy. Mmmm…doesn’t that lemon smell good? Next add some salt and pepper. Give it a little taste.
- I like to put all the dried herbs in one small bowl and mix them together: oregano, parsley, basil, dill, rosemary and coriander. Add just a pinch of nutmeg and give it a stir. Add about a ⅓ of that to the cheese mixture, give it a stir and set aside.
- Veggies:
- In a large pan, heat up some olive oil (about two spins around the pan)
- Mince the shallot and garlic, add to the pan. The mushrooms and zucchini will take only a few minutes to cook. You don’t want to overdo it! Add the mushrooms, stirring and cooking them down. Add the northern beans and Kalamata olives, stirring and heating through. Next add the zucchini. Add some salt, pepper and the rest of the herbs, cook for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat. (You want the zucchini al dente.) On your cutting board, halve the plum tomatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Follow package instructions. When you are about halfway through the cooking time, ladle out a cup of the water and reserve for later. When the pasta is al dente, drain well and place back into the pot, OFF THE HEAT. Add the cheese mixture to the pot. Stir. Add the veggies including the tomatoes and stir. This is where you may also want to add some of the reserved pasta water to get the consistency you like. The “sauce” should be loose, but not watery. Squeeze a half a lemon over the top, stir gently and serve. (Cut the other half of your lemon and use as garnish.)
