One Pot Pasta With Asparagus And Ricotta Food

PENNE WITH RICOTTA AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Blanch the asparagus: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (You will cook both the asparagus and the pasta in the same pot of water.) Add a couple teaspoons of salt. Have an ice bath ready. Add the asparagus and cook until tender but firm, about 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus with tongs and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking.
• Cut the asparagus: into 1/8-inch diagonal slices, leaving the tips intact.
• Cook the pasta: Bring the water back to a boil and add the penne pasta.
• Make the ricotta sauce: While the penne is cooking, rub the inside of a large serving bowl with the mashed garlic. Discard the garlic. Add the ricotta, olive oil, and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Mix together in the bowl.
• Add pasta to the ricotta mixture, with asparagus and parm: When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the penne to the ricotta mixture. Fold in the asparagus and half of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and several dashes of nutmeg. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed.

ONE-POT PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Combine the pasta, onions, garlic, asparagus, broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the frozen peas and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and top with dollops of ricotta and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

CAVATELLI WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON AND FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place the woody stems from the asparagus in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer the pureed asparagus to a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Let the juices drain, 5 to 10 minutes, pressing down lightly on the puree with a wooden spoon occasionally. Reserve the juice and discard the pulp.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the ricotta, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon lemon juice with some salt and pepper. Add the lemon zest and set aside.
• Once the water has boiled, add the cavatelli and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
• Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic, then add the sliced asparagus and saute until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the cavatelli directly into the skillet with the asparagus. Add about half of the asparagus juice and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Add the remaining asparagus juice and the remaining tablespoon lemon juice and cook until the pasta is glossy, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with Pecorino-Romano, lemon zest, dollops of the whipped ricotta, basil and black pepper.

LEMONY PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Grate the zest from the lemon into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice from half of it on top of the zest. Add the white beans, shallot or onion, grated garlic, red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and toss well. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, usually 2 minutes less than the package directs.
• Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, then add the asparagus. Sauté until the asparagus is tender and starting to brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt and the sliced garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• Dip a coffee mug or glass measuring cup into the pasta water and scoop out about 1/2 cup of it to use for the sauce. Drain pasta, shaking it well. Add pasta, bean mixture, parsley and Parmesan to sauté pan and cook until the beans are hot and the pasta is al dente. If the mixture looks dry, splash in some (or all) of the reserved pasta water. Squeeze remaining lemon half over pasta, toss and taste. Season with pepper; add more salt, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice, if desired.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND SCRAMBLED EGGS

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions. Add asparagus and cook 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in pot over medium-high and add 1/4 cup pasta water. Add pasta mixture and Parmesan and cook, stirring, 1 minute. If necessary, add remaining pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta.
• In a small nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until just set. Divide pasta and eggs among four plates, top with ricotta, and season with salt and pepper.

LEMON PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the asparagus in 1/2-inch pieces. You can discard the tips but it is purely up to you.
• Warn the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until softened on the edges. Add the asparagus and season with salt. Cook, stirring to turn and distribute the asparagus, until crisp-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Once done, take off the heat.
• When the water comes to boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Scoop out 1/3 cup pasta water and set aside. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the asparagus along with the butter. Place over medium heat. Use tong to toss and melt the butter. Add half the lemon juice and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice and salt if needed. If the spaghetti is too dry, fold in some of the pasta water.
• Divide among 2 plates. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan. If you like, drop 2 tablespoonfuls of ricotta ontop of each. Enjoy!

ONE-POT PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Use your hands to pull the sausages apart into small pieces; add to the skillet and cook untouched for 1 minute.
• Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, stirring at 1-minute intervals and breaking up the sausage into 1/2-inch chunks, until browned and crispy on the outside with no pink remaining. If you have more than 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan, drain the excess.
• Carefully pour in the passata (it may splatter), then add the cumin, red-pepper flakes and 2 cups water, stirring to combine. Season with salt and increase the heat to bring to a boil.
• Add the pasta, coating it with the liquid. (It won't be fully submerged, and that's OK.) Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer with small bubbles forming on the surface. Cover and let cook, stirring every few minutes to make sure nothing is sticking at the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions. If the pasta is still hard at this point, add a few tablespoons of warm water at a time and cook until just al dente. Depending on your pasta size and shape, you may need to add several tablespoons of water.
• When the pasta is just al dente, reduce the heat to low and season to taste with salt. Stir in the spinach in batches, and cook, uncovered, until most of the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute more. (It will continue to wilt in the heat of the pasta after you serve it.) If the pasta seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon warm water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Divide pasta among serving bowls and top with Parmesan.

ONE-POT SPINACH, TOMATO, AND RICOTTA PASTA

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, spinach, broth, water, and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover and cook until the broth comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
• Uncover and add the pasta. Stir pasta until it softens and is submerged in the liquid. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in ricotta cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir and allow ricotta cheese to heat through. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

BAKED PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS (PASTA AL FORNO CON ASPARAGI)

Steps:

• Wash Asparagus.
• Remove any tough stalks and cut into short lengths.
• You may want to split the length in half.
• Melt about 3 tbs of butter in pan and cook the asparagus over a low heat for about 20 min.
• Every so often, add a little chicken stock to keep it moist.
• When the asparagus is done, season to taste.
• While the asparagus is cooking, process the ricotta cheese with the oil.
• Cook the pasta for half the time stated on the package.
• Drain and immediately toss in the remaining butter and half the Parmesan.
• Butter a deep oven dish.
• Make a thin layer of pasta, then one of asparagus, then one of pasta again and then one of ricotta.
• Repeat, finishing with the layer of pasta.
• Beat together the eggs and the remaining cheese and pour over the top.
• Sprinkle with black pepper.
• Bake in a medium oven, 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

ASPARAGUS PASTA WITH MINT PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, briefly whizz the mint leaves, ricotta and grated Parmesan until you have a smooth green pesto. Season well.
• Boil the pasta, dropping in the asparagus tips 2-3 mins before the cooking time is up. When you drain the pasta, keep back a few tbsp of the water, then return the pasta, asparagus and water to the saucepan.
• Quickly stir in the mint pesto, divide between 4 plates, then shave over the remaining Parmesan to serve.

ONE-POT SPRING PASTA WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, 7 minutes (or 2 minutes less than package instructions). Add asparagus and continue to cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add peas and continue to cook until cooked through, about 1 minute more. Drain pasta, asparagus, and peas together, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Transfer pasta and vegetables to a large bowl. Add butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 tsp. pepper, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt. Toss, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid bit by bit as needed, until a smooth sauce coats pasta (you might not need all the liquid).
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with salmon, basil, and remaining 1/2 cup sour cream. Season with lots of pepper.

ONE-POT ZUCCHINI-BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• In a large, deep 12-inch skillet, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Once stock boils, stir in pasta, zucchini, mascarpone, garlic and half the basil; season generously with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender and liquid is reduced until thickened and creamy, 12 to 13 minutes, adding a splash of water during the last few minutes of cooking if needed to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, prepare the gremolata: Chop almonds and parsley with remaining basil until finely chopped and combined; season with salt and pepper.
• Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

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.