Whole Roasted Ricotta Pasta Food

WHOLE ROASTED RICOTTA WITH HONEYED FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6.
• Place the bay in a roasting tray, pick over the oregano and sit the ricotta on top. Season generously.
• Halve and scatter the figs around the cheese, finely grate over the orange zest then drizzle everything with oil and honey.
• Rub the flavours into the cheese with your hands, then scatter over the remaining oregano, then roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and firm.
• Slice up the ciabatta, then peel and halve the garlic cloves. Preheat a griddle pan and griddle thin slices of ciabatta. Rub the toast with the cut side of the garlic. Drizzle with oil and leave to one side.
• Serve the roasted ricotta on a board with a stack of toast, the sticky figs and some rocket and picked fresh mint on the side.

WHOLE ROASTED RICOTTA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Pick most of the oregano leaves, then pound to a paste in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt. Peel and bash in the garlic, muddle in 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, then season with black pepper.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes, deseed and roughly chop the peppers, peel and roughly chop the onion, slice the chillies in half lengthways, and add it all to a large roasting tray along with the capers. Pour over most of the flavoured oil and toss together.
• Make a little well in the centre of the tray, pop in the ricotta and rub all over with the remaining flavoured oil. Add a splash of water to the tray, place in the oven and roast for 50 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and just starting to caramalise.
• With 10 minutes to go, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mug of the starchy pasta water, and steam dry.
• Carefully lift the ricotta onto a board. Tip the drained pasta and a little of the pasta water into the tray and gently shake to loosen all the sticky goodness from the bottom. Toss together, then tip into a serving dish and break the beautiful ricotta over the top. Pick over the remaining oregano leaves and grate over the Parmesan, then serve.

WHOLE-WHEAT LINGUINE WITH GREEN BEANS, RICOTTA, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese. Toss to combine.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans, garlic, salt, and pepper and saute for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the pasta with ricotta to the pan with the green beans and toss to combine. Add the tomatoes and gently toss. Transfer to a serving plate and top with lemon zest. Serve.

PASTA WITH CARROT SAUCE AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, leek and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Wipe out the saucepan and add the carrot puree to the pan. Stir in the heavy cream and heat over medium heat. Add the pasta and toss well to coat, adding the reserved cooking water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time if the sauce seems too thick. Season with salt.
• Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with the ricotta salata and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired.

WHIPPED RICOTTA PASTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF and cut the tomatoes in half and place them skin side down on a baking sheet.
• Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle season them with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper.
• Prepare the garlic by cutting the tip of the garlic off, exposing the garlic cloves but leaving the root intact.
• Place each garlic clove in a piece of tin foil and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Wrap the garlic tightly in the tin foil and place the garlic on the pan.
• Roast at 375ºF for 30 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the tomatoes over so the tomatoes are skin side up. Place them back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water (salted to taste like the sea) to a boil and add the penne pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente.
• Before straining the pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot for later use. Strain pasta and set aside.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the tomatoes and garlic sit for 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove the tomato skins from the tomatoes and place them in a large skillet with sides. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from the garlic paper into the skillet.
• Break the tomatoes up with a spatula so that they turn into a sauce (this should happen easily) and use a spatula to smash the garlic cloves into a paste. Combine the two ingredients together.
• Add the tomato paste and ½ - ¾ cup of the pasta water to the skillet, whisk the ingredients together and bring it to boil over high heat.
• Turn the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
• Fold the spinach into the tomato mixture, cover the skillet, and let the spinach wilt in the tomato sauce (about 10 minutes)
• Meanwhile, place the ricotta cheese into a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip the ricotta. Whip the ricotta on high speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• When the spinach is wilted, remove the skillet from the heat and add 1/4 cup of whipped ricotta to the skillet. Whisk until combined. Repeat until you've added 1 cup of whipped ricotta to the sauce..
• Once combined, place the skillet back onto heat and heat on low until the sauce is warm.
• Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce.
• Serve the pasta with the remaining whipped ricotta and fresh herbs along with some grated parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy.

WHOLE BAKED RICOTTA WITH LENTILS & ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the shallots in a medium-sized roasting tin, drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and season. Roast for 15 mins until golden brown and beginning to soften. Meanwhile, to make a dressing, whisk the remaining olive oil with the lemon zest and juice, stir through half the herbs and season.
• Toss the lentils together with the shallots, spinach and 4 tbsp water. Put the ricotta in the centre of the roasting tin and lay the tomatoes around them. Drizzle the dressing over the lentils and shake the tin a little to combine everything. Drizzle a little olive oil over the ricotta and season everything well. Return to the oven for 30-35 mins or until the ricotta is firm and lightly golden.
• Serve the lentils in shallow bowls topped with spoonfuls of the creamy ricotta and sprinkled with the remaining herbs.

BAKED PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 10 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash and 2 1/2 teaspoons of thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.
• Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.

PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT SAUCE AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425°F. Place a large pot of water on to boil.
• Place the eggplant on a cookie sheet. Pour about 1/2 cup EVOO into a dish. Brush the eggplant lightly with the EVOO. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Add the garlic to the cookie sheet and dab it with EVOO as well. Roast for 20 minutes or until both the garlic and the eggplant are tender.
• When the water comes to a boil, salt it liberally and add the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente, with a bite to it.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO and the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Place the cooked eggplant and the garlic in a food processor and process it into a smooth paste. Add the eggplant paste to the cooked onions then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Toss with the drained hot pasta and the shredded or torn basil. Top the pasta with lots of crumbled ricotta salata.