Pasta: Ricotta Alfredo

By SharonE

Ingredients

• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 box rigatoni or penne pasta (16 oz)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• steamed broccoli florets (or asparagus or cauliflower or peas)
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Whisk 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 tablespoon oil, dash pepper, and a dash salt in a medium bowl until smooth. You may need to add a little more olive oil to get a smooth consistency; set aside.

Cook pasta according to the box (be sure to add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water when it starts boiling) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot.

As the pasta cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, nutmeg, and cayenne in saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk in remaining ricotta, heavy cream, lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until smooth.

Add ricotta-cream mixture from step 3, parmesan and broccoli to pasta and toss to combine. Let pasta rest, tossing frequently, until sauce has thickened slightly and coats pasta, 2 to 4 minutes, adjusting consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve the pasta in a wide bowl or plate and add a dollop of the ricotta from step 1. Pass the extra Parmesan separately.