Description
A cozy, creamy tomato ricotta pasta that combines simple ingredients into a warm, comforting vegetarian dinner. Balanced with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano, this easy weeknight meal is light yet rich in flavor.
Ingredients
250 ml passata or finely chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion finely chopped
Salt and pepper
300 grams pasta such as penne or fusilli
1 tablespoon rock salt for boiling water
Fresh basil leaves torn or roughly chopped
250 grams fresh ricotta drained of excess liquid
Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated (can substitute Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano)
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat and sauté the chopped onion until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add passata, season with salt and pepper, and simmer on low for 15–20 minutes until thickened.
3. Add torn basil to the sauce and cook briefly to enhance the flavor.
4. Boil a large pot of water with rock salt and cook pasta until al dente, about 12 minutes, reserving some pasta water before draining.
5. In a bowl, combine half the ricotta with a splash of reserved pasta water and grated cheese until smooth.
6. Stir the ricotta mixture into the tomato sauce over low heat until fully blended.
7. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix gently, adjusting the texture with more pasta water if needed.
8. Serve immediately with additional grated cheese and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
Use whole-milk ricotta for the best creamy texture; blended cottage cheese is an alternative but will affect consistency.
Cook pasta slightly under package instructions to avoid overcooking when added to the sauce.
Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water for adjusting sauce consistency.
Fresh basil provides better flavor; use 1 tsp dried basil if fresh is unavailable and add earlier in the cooking process.
Substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano with Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano for varied flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 1300–1500
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 70–85 g
- Saturated Fat: 35 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 40 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 150–170 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 45–60 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg