Having craved this for a ridiculous amount of time, the end result nevertheless was as good as I expected. (you know how those build-ups are!) That, and because I was starving, I maniacally ripped and shredded my ingredients before reaching the bliss I had been longing for.

There are two things I would have done differently with this dish, though, the next time. Firstly, I would use tagliatelle, which is more tender and malleable, a perfect complement to the minimalism of the dish. Secondly, I would have mixed either sour cream or some lemon juice to spruce up the ricotta. Here, I added cayenne pepper largely to answer a stubborn craving for spiciness.

It’s a good dish to chill in the fridge to nibble on as a midnight snack, if you are so inclined. This is one of those perfect 15 minute dishes that I’d be happy to nosh on in-between the daily grind and hustle-bustle.

Garlic Butter Zucchini and Ricotta Fettucine
Serves One

1 serving fettucine
1/2 zucchini, chopped to medium-sized strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ricotta
1/2 cup peas
water, to cook the fettucine

Optional: 
1 tsp lemon juice OR 1 tsp sour cream

Boil the water and cook fettucine (or pasta of your choice) together with the peas till done. Save a little of the water in a bowl. Drain the pasta and peas, and set aside.

Melt butter in a pan, and toss in garlic. Stir-fry till fragrant, then toss in the zucchini strips. Once done, toss teh pasta and peas to coat the noodles in a little of the butter.

Add the ricotta to the bowl. Pour the noodles from the pan straight into the bowl, and toss till nicely coated and cheese is evenly melted.

Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper as I did if you like a bit of spice. Alternatively, juice up with a lemon or 1 tsp of sour cream to give it a good kick.