Friday, June 7, 2013

Dinner tonight: Pasta with ricotta, herbs, and lemon


This recipe was originally from Real Simple magazine, one of my favorites. It's so easy and delicious, and a real crowd pleaser - and it tastes really special, like you spent all day mastering a tricky cream sauce. I found it on Fresh Direct, which lists recipes and then lets you easily purchase all the ingredients you need - genius!

1 1-pound box penne (I used penne, but would use penne rigate next time - holds onto sauce better)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup fresh ricotta (I used part skim)
1/3 cup roughly chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used tarragon and flat-leaf parsley)
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserving 1/3 cup of the water, drain the pasta, then return it to the pot. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, ricotta, and pasta water until a rich, creamy sauce forms. Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Add the herbs, zest, salt, and pepper and toss.

I also added some parmesan cheese, because why not? Serve it with a side of broccolini or asparagus, both great right now.

Enjoy!

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