Penne With Lemon Ricotta And Basil Recipes

PENNE WITH LEMON, RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cook the penne in a pot of salted water until al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, and whisk in the ricotta, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Moisten with some of the reserved pasta water to make a sauce-like consistency.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss the pasta with a bit of olive oil. Divide among plates and top with sauce and basil.

PENNE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Meanwhile, pluck the basil leaves from the stems (you should have about 2 cups leaves). Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. Smash and peel the garlic.
• Put the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with the salt and some pepper.
• Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the penne and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and save about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl. Use tongs and toss with enough of the cooking water so the pesto coats the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
• Upgrades: a. Make the pesto creamy by adding 1/4 cup ricotta cheese when processing the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. This is great with tortellini or ravioli. b. Top dressed pesto pasta with 1/2 pound diced large or halved small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), 3 medium tomatoes cut in large chunks, and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, (we like kalamata for this), roughly chopped. c. Add cooked 1 to 2 cups chicken or shrimp.
• Twists on Pesto: In place of basil, try the following combination: 1 cup parsley, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves. Substitute walnuts for the pine nuts

ONE-POT PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND LEMON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• In the same pot, make the sauce: Add the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir until well combined.
• Add 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth. Add the pasta and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed for a smooth sauce.
• Divide the pasta among bowls and top with some of the sauce that's pooled at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and basil, if using.

WHIPPED BASIL RICOTTA

Steps:

• Combine ricotta cheese, basil, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and pepper flakes in a mini food processor and process until all ingredients are well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.

PENNE WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a large high-sided saute pan or saucepan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions, garlic and tomatoes with the juice. Mash the tomatoes with a potato masher in the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the penne and 2 tablespoons salt and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.
• Mash the tomatoes again until coarsely chopped. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin out the sauce and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Thin with additional pasta water if necessary.
• Transfer the pasta to the sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to the pan and combine. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, adding more grated cheese as the pasta cooks. Add some of the basil and parsley and the chile flakes and then drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the pasta to a large shallow serving dish and top with freshly grated cheese. Top with the ricotta and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Garnish with the remaining basil and parsley; serve immediately.

PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS, RICOTTA AND LEMON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of light salted water to a boil for cooking the penne.
• Stir together the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
• Add the penne to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until the penne is al dente (Do not overcook penne) and the asparagus is tender, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and asparagus and place in a large bowl.
• Add 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the ricotta mixture, whisking until smooth. Toss the pasta with the ricotta sauce.
• Pass the remaining parmesan separately.
• One serving is 11/2 cups.
• VARIATION: Penne with Spinach, Ricotta, and Lemon.
• In step 3 omit the asparagus; cook the penne for 8 to10 minutes. While the penne is cooking, cook one 10 ounce (300-gram) package of frozen spinach according to package directions. In step 4 Toss the penne with the ricotta sauce and spinach.

RICOTTA WITH LEMON, BASIL, AND HONEY BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Mix fresh ricotta with lemon zest, and spread onto toasts (do not rub with garlic or drizzle with oil in this variation). Add a few basil leaves, and drizzle with delicate honey.

PENNE WITH RICOTTA AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil, and salt it. In a separate pot, cook peas in boiling salted water to cover, until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again and set aside.
• Cook pasta in the large pot. While it is cooking, mix ricotta, butter and half the Parmesan in a warm bowl. When pasta is almost done, remove about a cup of its cooking water, and use as much as you need to make ricotta mixture into a sauce.
• Toss pasta with ricotta mixture and peas. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, add more cooking water if necessary, and serve, passing remaining Parmesan at the table.

PASTA WITH PEAS, RICOTTA SALATA, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Fill a 4-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for pasta and peas.
• Tear basil into bite-size pieces and break ricotta salata into about 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Into a large bowl finely grate zest from lemon and squeeze enough juice to measure 1 tablespoon. Add basil, cheese, and oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until almost al dente. Stir in peas and continue to cook until pasta is al dente and peas are tender. Drain pasta and peas well. Add pasta and peas to bowl and toss to combine. Season pasta with salt and pepper and sprinkle with tarragon.