Spinach and Ricotta Pappardelle
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This is another recipe I found in an old issue of Food and Wine Magazine, and saved for future use. I had the perfect opportunity to make it when my friend Jenny came over last night - she requested pasta. Here is a link to this recipe for Spinach and Ricotta Pappardelle.I couldn't find pappardelle in our local supermarket, but they do carry it at Trader Joe's. I made 2 small changes to the recipe, noted in italics below.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pappardelle pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage (didn't use this)
- Added: 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Two 5-ounce bags baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pappardelle pasta until al dente. Drain the pappardelle thoroughly, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the scallions and sage (garlic) and cook over high heat until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the spinach in large handfuls and cook, stirring, until wilted.
- Add the pasta, butter and ricotta and toss.
- Add 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and the Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Cook over moderately low heat, tossing, until the sauce is thick and creamy, adding more of the pasta water as needed.
- Transfer the pappardelle to bowls and serve right away, with grated Parmigiano.
Once this sauce came together, I didn't even recognize it as ricotta. It was just a nice, creamy and cheesy sauce that stuck nicely to the noodles. Be sure to season it generously with salt and pepper - I tasted it before seasoning and it definitely needed it.
On top of being delicious, this one was quick and easy, but impressive enough that it didn't appear quick and easy. I will definitely make this one again, and will keep my changes of omitting the sage and adding garlic.
