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Prep time
15 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
"[This pasta] kind of tastes like an ‘adult’ mac-n-cheese. The first thing you get is the creaminess of the parm and the ricotta, and then you get the sweetness of the roasted squash, and then you get this really nice…habanero heat.” —Rick Martinez
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Ricotta & Roasted Summer Squash Pasta
Ingredients
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3 pounds
assorted summer squashes and zucchini, sliced
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6 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
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1
medium white onion, chopped
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4
garlic cloves, thinly sliced
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Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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8 ounces
ricotta, about 1 cup
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2 ounces
grated Parmesan, pecorino or a mixture, about 1 cup, plus more for serving
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1 tablespoon
fresh lemon juice
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1 teaspoon
finely grated lemon zest
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1-2
chile de árbol, chopped or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 pound
pipette, ziti, or other tube pasta
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1/2 cup
basil leaves
Directions
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Heat grill or oven to 375ºF and line a sheet tray with foil or parchment. Toss squash, oil, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until completely coated. Arrange in an even layer on prepared sheet tray. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squash is very tender and just beginning to brown, 45-55 minutes. Reserve about 1/3 of squash for serving, transfer the remaining squash to a large bowl. Add ricotta and parmesan and stir to combine breaking up and lightly smashing the squash as you stir.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of heavily salted, boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente (see cook times on box). Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Add ½ cup pasta water to the squash mixture and stir to combine. Mixture should have the consistency of a very thick ragú. Use more pasta water if necessary, just be sure to taste as you add so it doesn’t become too salty! Add lemon juice, lemon zest, chile de árbol and stir to combine. Toss pasta in mixture to combine until completely coated.
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Serve pasta warm or room temperature with reserved squash, basil, a sprinkle of parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
Rick Martinez is currently living his dream—cooking, eating and enjoying the Mexican Pacific coast in Mazatlán. He is finishing his first cookbook, Under the Papaya Tree, food from the seven regions of Mexico and loved traveling the country so much, he decided to buy a house on the beach. He is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and hosts live, weekly cooking classes for Food Network Kitchens. Earlier this year, he was nominated for a James Beard Award for “How to win the Cookie Swap” in Bon Appétit’s holiday issue.
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