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Pasta con la ricotta
Pasta con la ricotta: Sicilian pasta with fresh ricotta and black pepper
Sicilian mothers make pasta con la ricotta on busy evenings and for children home from school: fresh sheep's or cow's milk ricotta is loosened with hot pasta water into a soft, milky sauce, then seasoned with black pepper and a little grated cheese. It is mild, creamy and ready in a quarter of an hour. Ricotta is made without rennet, but parmesan or pecorino usually contain animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if needed. The common mistake is spooning cold ricotta straight onto the pasta, where it stays in lumps; whisk it with hot water first. Chef's tip: a little lemon zest or a few mint leaves lifts the sauce without hiding the ricotta.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp saltfor the pasta water
- 10 ½ oz fresh ricotta
- 1 ⅜ oz parmesan or pecorinofinely grated; or a vegetarian hard cheese (both usually use animal rennet)
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 4 litres of water to the boil with 1 tbsp salt and cook 14 oz short pasta such as rigatoni or penne until al dente, firm in the centre.
12 minStep 2: While it cooks, put 10 ½ oz fresh ricotta in a large warm serving bowl. Just before draining, whisk in 4–5 tablespoons of the hot pasta water until the ricotta is smooth and as loose as thick yogurt.
Step 3: Drain the pasta, keeping a little more water, and tip it into the bowl. Toss until every piece is coated in a creamy white sauce, adding a splash more water if it looks dry.
Step 4: Stir in ⅔ oz parmesan or pecorino and 1 tsp black pepper, plus 1 tsp lemon zest if using. Serve at once with the rest of ⅔ oz parmesan or pecorino sprinkled over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 530 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 75 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pasta con la ricotta take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
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