I probably could have gotten away with conveying the image of me, with my sun hat on, working away in my beautiful garden, then whipping up this delicious pasta dish. Pretty picture, maybe. But not very honest. The only veggies that you eat at my house are from the local market. I am not a gardener, by any stretch. Nevertheless, it is simple enough to plant herbs in pots on my deck which in turn gives me the feeling of  “gardening” but most importantly allows me to take my summertime pasta creations to new levels. Here is what I served last night along with grilled fish. So simple and really, really good. My new obsession- mint with pasta!

Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Zucchini, Ricotta, Fresh Mint and Toasted Almonds.

Ingredients

(serves 2 as main dish, 4 as a side)

1/2  bag Al Dente® Whole Wheat Fettuccine

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 zucchini, sliced

2 dollops (heaping Tbsp.) of fresh ricotta

nice amount of fresh mint, shredded

sliced almonds, if desired

salt and pepper

Directions

Put pot of salted water on stove to boil. Saute the zucchini in a skillet in the olive oil over medium high heat until golden brown. Add chopped garlic to the zucchini at the last minute so that it won’t burn. Salt and pepper the zucchini.

Add 1/2 bag of pasta to boiling water. Put your dollops of ricotta in your serving bowl. Add zucchini and mint to ricotta. Ladle approximately 1/2 cup of pasta water to the ricotta in the bowl to thin it and create a sauce.

Drain pasta and toss in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds if desired. Serve and enjoy!