15-Minute Creamy Zucchini Rigatoni with Ricotta and Pancetta

Name: 15-Minute Creamy Zucchini Rigatoni with Ricotta and Pancetta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 100 g Rigatoni; 150 g Zucchini; 50 g Ricotta; 50 g Pancetta; 1 clove Garlic; to taste Salt

This creamy zucchini rigatoni is a simple pasta dish you can make in about 15 minutes.

The sauce is made with zucchini, garlic, and ricotta, so it becomes smooth and creamy without using heavy cream. Crispy pancetta adds a salty bite and a little texture.

The important part of this recipe is not only the ingredients, but also the order in which you work.

Start heating the pasta water first. While it heats, prepare and cook the pancetta, garlic and zucchini. Then, while the rigatoni are cooking, finish the sauce.

This way, there is very little waiting and dinner is ready much faster.

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Creamy zucchini rigatoni with ricotta and crispy pancetta

Pasta & Grains

Prep time
5 minutes

Cook time
Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time
Total time: About 15 minutes

Approx. calories
710 kcal
per serving

Ingredients Instructions Video Tips

Ingredients

Choose your units:

Ingredients (for person):

Rigatoni: 100 g
Zucchini: 150 g
Ricotta: 50 g
Pancetta: 50 g
Garlic: 1 clove
Salt: to taste

Equipment

Pot

Frying pan

Knife and cutting board

Immersion blender

Colander

Ladle or cup for pasta water

Vasko’s Tips

Start with the longest step: Start heating the pasta water first, then prepare the other ingredients while you wait.

Save the pasta water: Save some pasta water before draining so you can loosen the sauce if needed.

Add the water gradually: Add water a little at a time, mix, and only add more if the sauce is still too thick.

Instructions

1. Start the pasta water

Put a pot of water on the stove first. This is the step that takes the longest, so starting it immediately saves time later.

2. Prepare the pancetta

Person chopping bacon on a wooden cutting board for zucchini rigatoni recipe.

Cut the pancetta into small pieces. Add it to a pan and cook over medium heat until the fat starts to render and the pancetta becomes crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pan, but leave the rendered fat behind. Keep a little crispy pancetta aside for serving at the end.

3. Prepare the garlic and zucchini

Sliced zucchini on a wooden cutting board for cooking.

While the pancetta is cooking, thinly slice one clove of garlic. Cut the zucchini into small pieces. They do not need to be perfectly even because the zucchini will be blended later.

4. Cook the garlic

Add the sliced garlic to the pancetta fat. Cook it gently for just a few seconds, until fragrant. Do not let it brown.

5. Add the zucchini

Add the zucchini to the pan and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, then add a small amount of water. Continue cooking until the zucchini becomes very soft.

6. Cook the rigatoni

When the pasta water is boiling, add salt and the rigatoni. Cook according to the package instructions, but start checking the pasta shortly before the suggested cooking time is finished.

7. Make the zucchini sauce

Creamy green zucchini and ricotta pasta sauce in a glass.

When the zucchini is very soft, blend it with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the ricotta and blend again. The sauce should be smooth and creamy.

8. Check the pasta for al dente

Take one rigatone out of the water and cut it in half. Look at the centre. A very thin white line in the middle means the pasta still has a little firmness and is close to al dente. If the white centre is still thick, cook it a little longer.

9. Save some pasta water

Before draining the rigatoni, save a small cup of pasta water. You may need it to adjust the consistency of the sauce.

10. Combine

Cooking creamy zucchini rigatoni with ricotta and pancetta in a skillet.

Add the drained rigatoni directly to the zucchini sauce. Mix well so the sauce coats the pasta and gets inside the rigatoni. If the sauce feels too thick, add a small amount of pasta water. Add it gradually and mix before adding more.

11. Finish with pancetta

Adding crispy pancetta to zucchini pasta in a home kitchen.

Add most of the crispy pancetta back to the pan and mix everything together. Transfer the pasta to a plate. Finish with the pancetta you kept aside. Serve immediately.