Golden Pepper & Parmesan Zucchini Pasta

This unique spin on pasta uses thinly sliced zucchini for noodles and switches up the sauce by featuring golden peppers rather than the traditional tomatoes. The result is a burst of summery flavor in a bowl. This recipe comes to us from Maria of Bean a Foodie.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow peppers
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 2 medium zucchini

Directions:

Using a spiralizer or julienne peeler, slice/cut your zucchini into spaghetti like strands. Set aside.

Pre heat broiled to high and place oven rack on the top most notch. Place both peppers in the oven underneath the broiled. Cook until skins are just blackened and blistered – about 2-3 minutes per side. This happens quickly, so don’t leave the kitchen while you broil the peppers.

Remove peppers from oven and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel away the blackened skin (though you can eat this if you’d like a charred flavor). Remove stem and seeds and roughly chop.

Place the peppers, garlic, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Process for about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust for seasonings. Process a few seconds more or until sauce is completely pureed.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the pepper sauce and cook for about 7 minutes or until thickened slightly (water will be release from the zucchini when it’s cooked so sauce should be thick to prevent it from getting to watery).

Add in the zucchini and cook for about 1-2 minutes or until zucchini is just barely tender. Toss with chopped basil and any extra parmesan cheese desired. Serve immediately!