Pennewithricotta Recipes

BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water just until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Stir in marinara sauce and toss to coat.
• In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese. Add basil, salt, garlic powder and pepper; stir to combine.
• Layer half of the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the pasta. Spoon the remaining pasta over the ricotta. Sprinkle mozzarella on top.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes (or until hot and bubbly).

PENNE WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the penne and cook for 10 minutes or until tender but still firm to taste.
• In the meantime, finely slice the onion and cook in a small pot with some olive oil or butter. Heat a 1/2 cup of water, add in the vegetable bouillon. Once the onion is properly cooked (should be tender), add everything else in, including the bouillon -- salt and pepper to taste. Stir the sauce frequently over low heat, should turn into a nice even mixture.
• Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to the sauce. Stir a few times, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let set for 5 to 10 minutes.

PENNE ARRABIATA

Steps:

• In a medium (10-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the garlic has softened and is lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes, place them in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and pulse until they're roughly chopped. With a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the food processor and pulse again to chop the garlic. Pour the tomato mixture into the pot with the olive oil, add the fennel, red pepper flakes, red wine, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the basil, taste for seasonings (it will be very spicy!), and keep warm over very low heat.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the penne and cook according to the directions of the package.
• Two minutes before the pasta is al dente, using a wire or spider strainer, lift the pasta out of the boiling water and add it to the sauce, along with 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Spoon the pasta into low shallow bowls, sprinkle with extra basil and Parmesan cheese, and serve hot.

PENNE WITH HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• Stir together ricotta, herbs, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, cook penne in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain penne.
• Stir 1/4 cup cooking water into ricotta mixture, then stir in penne. Thin with additional cooking water if desired and season with salt and pepper.

PENNE WITH BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add penne, and cook 2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente; add broccoli. Cook 2 minutes or until penne is al dente and broccoli is bright green. Reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and broccoli; set aside.
• In the same pan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add pasta water as needed to help loosen any browned bits from bottom of pan.
• Add penne and broccoli, and cook until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta mixture to a serving dish. Top with ricotta; season with salt and pepper.

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.

PENNE WITH QUICK TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Prepare pasta according to package instructions.
• While pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, basil and garlic in a blender or food processor.
• Blend at low speed until tomatoes are completely pureed.
• Pour mixture into a large saucepan. Heat to boilng, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
• When pasta is done, drain well.
• Return pasta to cooking pot,add the tomato sauce and heat over low heat until sauce is simmering and the pasta is covered with sauce.
• Remove pot from heat and stir in ricotta and Parmesan cheese until evenly distributed.

PENNE WITH RICOTTA AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with enough salt that the water tastes salty. Add the asparagus and cook until tender but still firm, about 4 minutes. Lift out the asparagus with tongs and transfer to an ice bath. Cut into 1/8 -inch slices, leaving tips intact.
• Bring the water back to a boil and add the penne.
• Meanwhile, rub a large serving bowl with the garlic. Add the ricotta, olive oil and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water; blend. When the pasta is done, drain it (reserving some water) and add it to the ricotta mixture. Top with the asparagus and half the Parmesan cheese, then fold everything together. Season to taste, adding some reserved pasta water if needed. Divide among 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese.