Lemon-Ricottone Pasta with Spinach
This light and luscious pasta would be fabulous served alongside a seared pork chop this week.
Ingredients:
½ pound pasta such as linguine or fettuccine
1 cup Bellsong ricottone cheese
8 ounces loose leaf spinach, washed
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 lemon, zest and juice
3 lemon wedges, to serve
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, make the ricotta sauce.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ricottone, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good pinch of pepper. Stir until well combined, taste and make sure you’re happy with the seasoning.
3. In the last minute of the pasta’s cooking time, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then add spinach to the pot. Stir well and push the leaves down to submerge them in water.
4. After 1 minute, drain and return pasta and spinach to the same pot. Add the ricottone sauce and part of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed, you want a smooth and creamy texture. Serve immediately and garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges if desired.
Pasta with Sautéed Spring Greens & Chevre
This incredibly-satisfying pasta is very versatile: Use any combination of your favorite hearty greens!
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta of your choice
6 cups mixed spring greens, such as a mix of this week’s micro broccoli, sunflower shoots, pea shoots
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough ribs removed and greens coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
½ cup Chevre cheese, crumbled
¼ pine nuts, toasted
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in the skillet. Once warm, add the garlic and all the greens, tossing to coat with oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and sweat until greens are just wilted and tender and garlic is fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add drained pasta to the skillet, then toss everything together with the rest of the olive oil and butter. If pasta seems a little dry, mix in reserved pasta water. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with crumbled Chevre and pine nuts on top.
