I experimented with a new pasta this week and it was DELISH!!!! I wanted to find a new spaghetti dish that could be served on Valentine’s Day and this is it! I made it while enjoying a glass of wine and put my favorite cooking music on, Billie Holiday. Yes, were my kids in the background screaming, yes loud and clear but somehow I have mastered the trick of drowning out the noise. Brian was on William so it was a nice treat to cook!
The balance in this red pesto sauce is perfect. Creamy, but on the lighter side. The trick to making the pesto so flavorful and perfect is the starchy pasta water that you add from cooking your pasta. It makes such a difference!
If you’re making this pasta recipe for Valentine’s Day, it deserves a slow quiet evening. Get the kids to bed early, put some music on, open a bottle of your favorite red wine and enjoy.
Sun Dried Tomato and Ricotta Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp good olive oil
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lb spaghetti
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse together the sun dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil and garlic clove until you get a consistency as pictured above.
- Cook your spaghetti to al dente. I always add about a tablespoon of salt to the water when I cook pasta. It makes a huge difference.
- When you drain, save about 1/2-1 cup of the pasta water to add to the pesto sauce.
- Over medium heat, toss the al dente pasta and pesto together so you get a beautiful coating over all of the noodles.
- Twirl a serving onto a plate and serve with a sprig of fresh basil and sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!!!!!!