We had a wee culinary crisis today. For the past few months I had planned on making a recipe with roasted brussels sprouts, chicken breasts, and a grainy mustard sauce. The first time I tried to make it the brussels sprouts had gone icky (that being my technical term). Today the chicken breasts were still frozen after 12 hours of sitting on the counter (we live in the cold north). Since I couldn't cook the chicken we switched things up a bit and I made the recipe that Paul had selected for tomorrow evening.
With this recipe from Fine Cooking Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, and lemon zest form the base for a creamy, no-cook pasta sauce that comes together in minutes. Yup. Minutes. Perfect for a Friday evening to bring a hellish week at work to a close.
The best thing was that I found some local ricotta made from Ontario water buffalo - just like one finds in Italy. Sure it was a bit more expensive than the local 'cow' variety but it was $ 4 dollars cheaper than buffalo ricotta from Italy.
This recipe came together in less than 20 minutes. We loved the interplay between the creamy ricotta, the slightly bitter wilted arugula, and the hint of lemon zest. The sauce was smooth and creamy with a fresh mix of flavours. . . proof that one can make a fine dinner with simple ingredients in less time than it takes ot order a pizza and have it delivered!
Penne with Ricotta, Arugula, and Basil
1 lb. penne pasta
8 oz. whole milk ricotta (about 1 cup)
1 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup); more for serving
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Fresh ground pepper
5 oz. arugula (about 6 loosely packed cups), coarsely chopped
1.5 oz. basil (about 2 cups loosely packed), coarsely chopped
Bring large pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. reserve about 1/3 cup of cooking water and drain pasta.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tbsp. of oil, the zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp. pepper.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the arugula and basil, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, tossing with tongs, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the arugula mixture to the bowl with the ricotta and mix well.
Add the hot pasta and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking liquid as needed to moisten the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more Parmesan to top if desired.
In searching out places to visit in Italy I did come across water buffalo in Ontario. That is something I would like to visit after a hearty pasts meal like this!
Posted by: bellini | March 10, 2012 at 05:57 AM
I need to find out where it is made bellini and go on a wee visit!
Posted by: JDeQ | March 13, 2012 at 08:31 PM