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ZUCCHINI ‘RICOTTA’ PASTA + FRESH HERBS

Zucchini ‘Ricotta’ Pasta with basil, mint and lemon is a summery and fresh combination for a simple vegan main dish that can be served warm or chilled!

side angle view of healthy, vegan zucchini ricotta pasta with basil and mint in a bowl with items surrounding.

Today, it’s a celebration of zucchini and fresh herbs – and lots of it!

Zucchini, Ricotta Pasta with fresh basil and mint is a wonderful way to celebrate these delicious ingredients.

It’s a creamy vegan pasta featuring summer squash, fresh herbs, zesty lemon and vegan ricotta cheese.

Pair with a dusting of almond parmesan and you have a quick and easy lunch, dinner or make ahead meal!

top down view of ingredients used to make vegan zucchini ricotta pasta with basil and mint.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Zucchini is cooked until soft and tender, and tossed with pasta, vegan ricotta and fresh herbs for a deliciously creamy vegan pasta dish that can be served both warm or chilled.

Here is everything you will need:

  • Zucchini – feel free to include yellow squash for a combination of colors.
  • Garlic
  • Basil – feel free to use only basil.
  • Mint – feel free to use only mint.
  • Lemon
  • Vegan ricotta – I used this homemade Tofu ricotta, but this Cashew Ricotta would be great too!
  • Olive oil – a flavored olive oil such as lemon or garlic would be fantastic.
  • Salt + pepper
  • Red pepper flakes – adds a nice heat, but optional
  • Pasta – use your favorite small pasta such as bowtie, penne, rigatoni, etc.

top down view of sliced zucchini in a bow with items surrounding.

How To Make Zucchini Ricotta Pasta + Mint

  • Cook the pasta.
  • Prep the zucchini into 1/4 inch slices.

Recommended Equipment: Use a mandolin to uniformly slice the zucchini with ease. I heart this Benriner slicer, but this XOX mandolin would be great too at half the cost (affiliate links).

top down view showing the process of adding pasta to a pot of cooked zucchini.

  • Cook the zucchini and garlic.
  • Add the pasta to the zucchini.

top down view showing the process of adding lemon juice to pasta, zucchini and vegan ricotta in a pan.

  • Next, add the vegan ricotta, basil, mint and lemon juice.
  • Toss well to coat.

And now your summery pasta is ready!

Serving Suggestions

This easy ricotta pasta is great alone, but can be made a little heartier with a side salad or soup. Here are a few of my favorite options:

top down view of a pot with freshly made zucchini ricotta pasta with mint and basil.

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
  • Freezer: Zucchini ricotta pasta is freezer friendly for up to 2 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link). Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags.
  • Meal prep: This creamy pasta is great for meal prep and can be served chilled or at room temp.

Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions

  • Gluten-free: Use gluten free pasta.
  • Oil-free: When cooking the zucchini and garlic use vegetable broth in place of oil.
  • Soy-free: Use this Cashew Ricotta Cheese.
  • Nut-free: Use Tofu Ricotta.

top down view of a bowl filled with vegan zucchini ricotta pasta with basil.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

If you try this zucchini ricotta pasta, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

ZUCCHINI ‘RICOTTA’ PASTA (VEGAN)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 7 reviews

A summery and fresh combination of zucchini, vegan ricotta, and lemon with basil and mint is a simple, wholesome and flavorful meal to be enjoyed warm or chilled!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Entree, Pasta
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 16 oz. small pasta (bowties, penne or rigatoni)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water or broth
  • 2 lbs. zucchini (4 – 5 medium), sliced 1/4 inch or if wide cut into half moons
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil, julienned
  • 1/4 cup mint, julienned
  • 2 lemons, juice of
  • 3/4 cup vegan ricotta (cashew ricotta or tofu ricotta)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • red pepper flakes, optional

To Serve

Instructions

Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Zucchini: In large pan, heat olive oil or water over medium heat and cook the garlic and zucchini together, until zucchini is pretty tender, about 8 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently so they cook uniformly.

Combine: Add the pasta, vegan ricotta, fresh herbs and lemon juice to the pan with zucchini, mix well to coat. Taste for flavor, adding more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with lemon wedges and a good dusting of almond parmesan – it’s simply delicious!

Serves 6

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To keep longer, store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes

Feel free to use only basil or only mint, instead of using a combination. Also, use as much as you like of each!

Add in yellow squash for a more color.

Edit: This recipe has been changed from it’s original use of 1 cup of mint to include basil as well, reducing the amounts of fresh herbs used. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your taste.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: Use a mandolin to uniformly slice the zucchini with ease. I heart this Benriner slicer, but this XOX mandolin would be great too at half the price (affiliate links).

NUTRITIONAL INFO: The nutrition info accounts for 1/2 block tofu since I used this Tofu Ricotta Recipe.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 356
  • Sugar: 4.7 g
  • Sodium: 7.2 mg
  • Fat: 5.5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 65.9 g
  • Fiber: 3.2 g
  • Protein: 12.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Updated: Zucchini Ricotta Pasta was originally published in September 2013. It has been updated with new photos and helpful tips in January 2020. The only changes made to the recipe is including basil with the mint. The original recipe called for 1 cup of mint.

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18 Comments

  1. This was simple to make, and tastes like a restaurant quality dish…mmmarvelous , this is now a goto meal…yummy






  2. A staple meal in my home. Perfect for summer. I use fresh herbs from my garden and it is delicious!!!






  3. Alexandra Colacito says:

    This might be my new favorite pasta recipe. As rich and delectable as alfredo, but you know it’s uber low fat and uber high protein (and of course cruelty free). I was searching up what to do with leftover mint (other than a salad) which is how I stumbled on this recipe and so glad I did. Just very light, yet very flavorful. Great combo of herbs! In case anyone else has a hard time with the directive re. salt and pepper “to taste” – I used 1/2 tsp salt in the tofu ricotta (and I used extra firm ricotta, without pressing) and 1 tsp of salt at the end, with the rest of the ingredients in the pasta. I also used 1.5 cups of ricotta instead of 3/4 cup, and only 1 lemon’s worth of juice (2 TB), not 2 lemons worth. To me, that was perfect. I also went heavy on the basil and mint :-)






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