Penne With Herbed Ricotta 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).

PASTA WITH HERBED RICOTTA, TOMATOES AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Blanch the rinsed spinach leaves in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until limp, about 1 minute. Drain the spinach and cool completely under cold running water. Pat dry and chop.
• Put the ricotta cheese in a large bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Stir in the spinach, scallions, basil, tomatoes, parsley and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook the penne until tender in well-salted boiling water. Drain, toss with the ricotta mixture, garnish with the pine nuts and serve immediately.

PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water, making sure to keep it quite al dente.
• Put butter in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add drained pasta to the pan and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using.
• Add tomato sauce gradually and stir to coat pasta, using only enough sauce for a light coating (you may not need the entire 2 1/2 cups).
• Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl and dot top with spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with pecorino and garnish with a few torn basil leaves.

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.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPINACH, PEAS, AND HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest and juice, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach; season generously and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Add peas; cook 1 minute more. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Add pasta, peas, and 3/4 cup ricotta mixture to skillet.
• Reduce heat to low and stir, adding enough reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce; season to taste. To serve, dollop pasta with remaining ricotta mixture, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with basil leaves.

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.