Although I am usually very happy to putter around my kitchen, even for me, spending a lot of time in a hot kitchen is less appealing in the summer. Our favorite summer meals tend to be ones that we can throw together in a matter of minutes using the delicious fresh produce that is so widely available this time of year.
One of our favorites is a Caprese salad, which is just slices of tomato and mozzarella with some olive oil drizzled on top and some fresh torn basil and sea salt sprinkled on top of that. We eat this for dinner once a week during the peak of tomato season, and we love to use a variety of heirloom tomatoes because their colors make such a beautiful salad.
But I digress. The point of this post was to give you a pasta that is delicious, fresh, and summery, and still quick to make. Which reminds me of another pasta dish that we love make in summer. We toss pasta with some diced tomato, a clove or so of minced garlic, olive oil, torn basil, and salt. It makes a super fast and delicious dinner that features those fabulous August tomatoes without much work at all.
I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time sticking to the point. Maybe it is that summer cooking doesn't really lend itself to recipes because the best foods are simple presentations of fresh produce. But I really do have a recipe to share with you.
This is one of those pasta dishes that we make again and again. The ricotta is creamy and refreshing, and the herbs are fresh and bright. The dish is infinitely variable, depending on what herbs you have on hand. If you buy ricotta at the beginning of the week, you can throw this together in the time it takes the pasta to cook.
I encourage you to play with the ratio of the herbs to see what suits you, but I love the combination of the bite of scallions or chives with the sweetness of mint and basil. I usually add Italian parsley, too, because it adds that fresh, green flavor that works so well in summer.
Pasta with Ricotta and Summer Herbs
Serves 6
20 minutes preparation and cooking time
1 pound short pasta, such as orecchiette, farfalle, or fusilli
1 cup fresh herbs such as basil, mint, chives, scallions, and/or Italian parsley, divided
1 pound fresh ricotta
1-2 teaspoons salt, plus more for the pasta water
a few grinds fresh pepper
freshly grated parmesan for serving
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. If you like pasta al dente, cook it for about a minute less than the time called for on the box.
Meanwhile, chop the herbs and reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, herbs, salt and pepper. Before you drain the pasta, scoop out some of the pasta water. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to the ricotta to thin it until it is smooth, about the consistency of sour cream.
When the pasta is done, drain it and toss it with the ricotta mixture. Serve it into individual plates or bowls and top each serving with a sprinkle of herbs and parmesan.
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