Penne with Shrimp, Zucchini, and Tomatoes in Vodka Sauce

This dish kind of came about from what I had left in the freezer and refrigerator, and also changed direction as I was making it! Originally I thought I had enough vodka sauce left over to properly cover all of the pasta, but I was sorely mistaken. Luckily I had a can of diced tomatoes in the pantry to add to the mix.

We ended up liking this a lot though. Lots of great flavors, and don't be shy with the garlic and onion because that really adds a lot to the dish. If you don't like ricotta cheese, you can leave it out, but even Chuck, who doesn't like ricotta, agreed that it was quite tasty in here.

As usual when I am making my own creation, all ingredient amounts are approximate, so feel free to add more or less of any ingredient. Enjoy!

Penne with Shrimp, Zucchini, and Tomatoes in Vodka Sauce

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes 3-4 servings

olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, quartered vertically and cut into thick slices

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 cup vodka sauce

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

8 ounces penne pasta

8 ounces (about 16-20) large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, saute until just beginning to turn golden, 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add zucchini, season with salt and pepper. Continue to saute until onion and zucchini are cooked through, 3-5 minutes more. Add vodka sauce and diced tomatoes with juices, heat through.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add penne, cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add shrimp to pasta pot. Drain pasta and shrimp.

Add pasta and shrimp to zucchini and sauce mixture. Add ricotta and gently mix all until combined. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste.