Arugula Pesto Pasta With Ricotta And Bacon Rachel Ray Recipe 45 Food

ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. When they are chopped and adhering to the sides, stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the walnuts. Turn on the machine, and process until they are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl again, and add the arugula and the salt. Pulse until the arugula is finely chopped, then turn on the machine and run while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When the mixture is smooth, stop the machine, scrape down the sides and process for another 30 seconds or so. Scrape out into the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Grind the mixture with the pestle for a smoother texture. Work in the cheese and combine well.

RACH'S CLASSIC PESTO SAUCE IS THE ONE TO TURN TO AGAIN + AGAIN

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the cheese into coarse sand
• Transfer to a bowl
• Add nuts, garlic, zest of 1 lemon and salt to a food processor and pulse into a fairly smooth paste
• Add cheese to nut paste and add about 3 tablespoons EVOO; process until smooth
• Pulse process basil into sauce until fairly smooth, adding juice of 1 lemon and remaining EVOO

ARUGULA PESTO PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BACON (RACHEL RAY) RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Using a blender or food processor, puree 8 cups arugula (about 6 ounces), 1 cup basil leaves, 1/2 cup each pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese, 2 cloves garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. With the machine on, drizzle in 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil until combined. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 1/2 pound trimmed asparagus into long, thin strips. Cook 1 pound pasta (such as campanelle or farfalle) until al dente; drain and immediately toss with the pesto and asparagus. Season with salt. Top each serving with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese and crumbled crisp-cooked bacon.

ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.
• Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula and put in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and the vitamin C, if using. Blend for at least 30 seconds. In this way the green of the arugula will thoroughly color the oil. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
• Pull out before dinner to get to room temperature. Before serving, add the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted pinenuts.

ARUGULA-BASIL PESTO WITH PINE NUTS, PARMESAN AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until lightly browned; let cool. Pulse in a food processor until finely ground.
• Add the arugula, basil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until finely chopped.
• Add the parmesan and pulse to combine.
• Slowly pour in the olive oil, pulsing to incorporate. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the ricotta. You'll have about 1 cup pesto; use about 1/2 cup for 1 pound pasta.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan to high.
• Toast the nuts lightly in small skillet over low heat, then add them to a food processor.
• Add the arugula, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine.
• With the processor on, stream in the extra-virgin olive oil to form thick pesto.
• Lightly pound out the chicken, then rub all sides with the pesto. Spray the grill pan with cooking spray or rub with a little oil and grill the chicken 2 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Cook's Note: Serve sliced on top of Caesar Spaghetti or, pile it onto ciabatta bread with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella for an outta-sight sammy.

RACHAEL RAY'S PENNE WITH RICOTTA AND BACON

Steps:

• Cook penne to al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water.
• Reserve 1 ladle of cooking water, then drain pasta and transfer to serving bowl.
• While pasta is cooking, fry bacon until crisp in a skillet, and transfer to plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Drain most of grease from skillet, leaving a small amount in skillet.
• Add onions and cook until golden.
• Stir onions and ricotta into pasta along with reserved pasta cooking water.
• Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the pasta along with the basil.