Pasta with Zucchini and Ricotta Polpette

The first thing I check in the morning is the weather forcast, hoping every time to hear some "good" news, that is to say that the temperature is getting slightly normal, a little bit cooler. Looks like there's no hope. Apart from a 5-minute shower on Saturday afternoon nothing has changed, at least not significantly.
I especially find it difficult to start a day, feeeling heavy and tired in the morning, after a sleepless night. I find that fruit and vegetables, fortunately available in this period, are the best "drug", supplying the energy and lost mineral salts and vitamins in order to push through the day. I'm literally loading on peaches, apricots, cherries, melons, etc.  Have you got any idea or advice to share? What helps you go through the summer heat?

When it's this hot, but you need to cook anyway, the best solution is to prepare an all-in-one meal. Pasta with vegetables and cheese polpette is a perfect example. Simple and yet nutritious, however, not leaving you feeling heavy after meal.
I've already made it twice in the past few days and I think that says it all.
I even liked the idea of zucchini and ricotta polpette alone, could eat them as side dish as well, or just with a large salad.

Pasta with Zucchini and Ricotta Polpette
(4 servings)

* 320 g pasta (pennette, fusilli, etc.)
* 500 g zucchini
* 200 g ricotta
* 2 eggs
* 6 TBspoons flour
* 4 TBspoons of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
* several leaves of fresh sage
* salt and pepper
* Extra virgin olive oil

Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut off the ends, then cut them lenghtwise into 2-3 mm thick slices and then into sticks.
Place the zucchini into a wide baking pan. Add 3-4 TBspoons EVOO, salt and pepper to your taste, and stir well with your hands so that the zucchini are well coated.
Mix the ricotta cheese with lightly beaten eggs, the grated parmigiano, the flour, the finely chopped sage, salt and pepper. The mixutre will be quite soft.
Using two small spoons (for example coffee spoons) shape the mixture into polpette (little balls), don't mind if they aren't perfectly shaped. Place the ricotta polpette in the baking pan dropping them over the zucchini.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and bake the zucchini and polpette for 20-30 minutes or until the polpette are golden colour, stirring everything a couple times.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the pasta.
In a large skillet heat 1 TBspoons olive oil with a clove of garlic.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the skillet with hot oil. Stir well and then add the zucchini with the ricotta polpette, stir well and serve.

Pasta con zucchine e polpette di ricotta
(per 4 persone)


* 320 g di pasta (pennette, fusilli, etc.)
* 500 g di zucchine
* 200 g di ricotta
* 2 uova
* 6 cucchiai di farina
* 4 cucchiai di parmigiano reggiano grattugiato
* qualche foglia di salvia fresca
* sale e pepe
* olio extra vergine d'oliva


Lavate asciugate e spuntate le zucchine. Tagliatele a fettine spesse 2-3 mm nel senso di lunghezza e poi a bastoncini.
Mettete le zucchine in una teglia larga con 3-4 cucchiai di olio, sale e pepe. Mescolate bene.
In una ciotola mescolate bene la ricotta con le uova leggermente sbattute, il parmigiano grattugiato, la farina, la salvia tritata, sale e pepe. 
Aiutandovi con due cucchiaini da caffè prelevate un po di impasto di ricotta e formate delle palline. Adagiatele sopra le zucchine. 
Riscaldate il forno a 200°C e infornate la teglia con le zucchine e polpette per circa 20-30 minuti o finché le polpette diventino dorate. Rimestate il tutto un paio di volte durante la cottura.
Nel frattempo portate a ebollizione una pentola con l'acqua, salatela e cuocete la pasta.
Scaldate un cucchiaio d'olio in una larga padella con uno spicchio d'aglio. Scolate la pasta e saltatela un attimo nella padella con l'olio caldo. Aggiungete le zucchine e le polpette, mescolate bene e servite.

Tjestenina s tikvicama i polpetama od ricotte
(za 4 osobe)


* 320 g kratke tjestenine (npr. pennette, fusilli, itd.)
* 500 g di tikvica
* 200 g di ricotte (ili svježeg kravljeg sira)
* 2 jaja
* 6 žlica brašna
* 4 žlice naribanog parmigiana
* nekoliko listića svježe kadulje
* sol i papar
* ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje


Operite i posušite tikvice. Odrežite im krajeve pa ih narežite prvo uzdužno na ploške od 2-3 mm, a zatim poprečno na štapiće.
Stavite tikvice u širi pleh, dodajte 3 žlice maslinovog ulja, soli i papar, izmiješajte dobro rukama.
Pomiješajte u zdjeli ricottu, malo razmućena jaja, naribani sir, brašno, sitno nasjeckanu kadulju, sol i papar. Izmiješajte dobro žlicom.
Uz pomć dvije žličice uzimajte ovu prilično mekanu smjesu i oblikujte manje više pravilne kuglice koje stavljajte na pleh preko tikvica.
Stavite peći u pećnicu zagrijanu na 200°C otprilike 20-30 minuta ili dok polpette ne porumene, promiješajte sve par puta tijekom pečenja.
U međuvremenu stavite lonac s vodom da zavrije. Posolite vodu i stavite kuhati tjesteninu.
Zagrijte u široj tavi žlicu maslinovog ulja s češnjem češnjaka. Ocijedite kuhanu tjesteninu i dodajte je u tavu s vrućim uljem. Izmiješajte i lagano zagrijte sve skupa. Maknite s vatre i dodajte tikvice i polpette od ricotte. Izmiješajte i poslužite toplo.