Lemon Ricotta Pasta. Summery dishes in Winter always make me smile. I love the Summer months with the warm weather and lots of flowering plants. My Lemon Ricotta Pasta of lasagnette pasta tossed with fresh ricotta, lemon zest, toasted pecans, and parsley tastes just like Summer. Of course, you can also make this pasta in Summer.
My husband was on a week-long business trip when I found myself looking for a quick simple solo meal. We usually have an abundance of pasta, rice and other grains on hand. I’d recently purchased some fresh hand-dipped ricotta cheese and was itching to make something with it other than my usual layered lasagna or stuffed cannelloni. How about a lemony ricotta pasta with chopped toasted pecans? Sounded good to me.
Start by boiling some pasta to al dente doneness. I like to use lasagnettes which I first found at Balduccis and is now carried online at Amazon.
When the pasta is done, drain it. Put the pasta into a large bowl. Toss the pasta with some fresh ricotta cheese, lemon zest and chopped toasted pecans. Plate the pasta, add a dollop of ricotta, and sprinkle with finely chopped Italian parsley. Serve. That’s it. A very simple dish.
Enjoy!!
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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients:
8 oz. lasagnette pasta (not the large lasagna sheets) or corkscrew pasta
1 c fresh hand-dipped ricotta cheese plus a few dollops for garnish
2 T lemon zest
1/2 c chopped toasted pecans
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley
Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
2. Put drained pasta into a large pasta bowl.
3. Lightly mix the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and chopped pecans into the pasta.
4. Plate the pasta into serving plates or bowls.
5. Add a dollop or two of ricotta to each serving of pasta.
6. Sprinkle Italian parsley over the pasta.
7. Serve.
Makes 2 servings of pasta. Offer with my Colorful Chopped Salad or my Herbed Asparagus Green Bean Tomato Salad. Crusty garlic bread is a good addition along with a glass of red or white wine. This is also a nice dish to take for your work lunch and is also good chilled.
Variations: Use your favorite pasta if you can’t find lasagnettes. Substitute regular ricotta from the dairy case if you can’t find the fresh hand-dipped ricotta. The fresh ricotta usually comes in clear containers at your local gourmet market. Use toasted walnuts or almonds if you prefer them to pecans. Add some golden raisins for sweetness. If you’re looking for a more savory dish, add some sauteed mushrooms. Use vegan ricotta and eggless pasta for a plant-based meal.
Order some lasagnette pasta from Amazon:
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