Summer Squash Pasta Carbonara

By AzWench

Bacon and ricotta team up in a summery squash interpretation of the Italian pasta classic. Serve this at your next barbecue.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 5 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
• 1 pound summer squash (about 3 medium), halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil; more for serving
• 8 ounces (1-cup) whole milk ricotta, room temperature
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound linguine
• 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (1/2-cup); more for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Leaving the bacon in the skillet, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the shallot and cook until it just begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the basil and 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remove from the heat. Keep warm.

Mix the ricotta and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl. Season well with pepper.

Boil the linguine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and add it to the squash mixture. Add the ricotta and Parmigiano and toss gently to combine, adding some of the cooking water to loosen the sauce, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with basil and cheese.