Farfalle Pasta with Zucchini and Lemon-Cream Sauce

1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta

1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature

½ cup mascarpone cheese

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon peel, or more to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain the farfalle well in a colander set in the sink.

While the farfalle are boiling, mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, and Parmesan cheeses in a large serving bowl, and stir in the lemon peel and basil until the mixture is well combined.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the zucchini and garlic until the zucchini are tender but still bright in color, about 8 minutes. Stir about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the cheese mixture and mix until smooth; add the hot drained pasta and cooked zucchini, and lightly toss with the sauce. Season with the salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick, add a little more pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is the desired thickness.