A lot of what I cook is heavily influenced (or a direct copy of…) something my Mum or Nunna cooked for me growing up. This delicious, simple pasta which I almost always have all of the ingredients for is one of those recipes and I make it at least once a month, especially now I have Alexander who absolutely loves it (and it works really well as a side with some penne or spirals for his little pasta-loving belly).
It does contain eggs but if eggs can’t be on the menu at your house for any reason, 'I’d add a littlestock or even cream to the ricotta to loosen it up and a whole lot more pasta water when mixing it through the pasta as an egg-free alternative.
If you can’t go a day without meat, some cooked bacon or prosciutto would work well on top, too.
Ricotta & Pea Pasta - Natalie Zee
Mum would make this often when I lived at home (which was over 12 years ago now! Crazy…). It was a kind of go-to when nothing was planned for dinner - ’I’ll just make ricotta pasta’. Now it serves as the kind of two-minute-noodles of my life, even though my hubby still likes actual two minute noodles occasionally (I can take them or leave them, I’ve never understood the fuss!).
It’s quite a heavy pasta dish which is why I don’t use as much spaghetti as I usually do, but feel free to use more.
RICOTTA & PEA PASTA
Serves 2
Ingredients;
- 120g of spaghetti (or your favourite pasta)
- 1/3 of a cup of frozen peas
- 1/3 of a cup of ricotta
- 1/3 of a cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- Black pepper, to taste.
Method;
1. Cook the pasta with the peas in well salted water as per packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile, mix together the egg, ricotta and parmesan with a generous amount of black pepper (the pepper is optional but particularly delicious in this dish).
3. Drain the pasta, reserving at least half a cup of the cooking water.
4. Return the pasta to the pot and stir the ricotta mixture through with a splash of pasta water. Add more pasta water if needed.
5. Serve immediately topped with extra black pepper.
Maybe this isn’t my two minute noodles, maybe it’s more my mac’n’cheese, though I do still make mac’n’cheese I have to say,
Next time you have ricotta you’re not sure what to do with, give it a go! Super delicious and much quicker than one of my favourite things ever to do with ricotta - make gnocchi (and my almost-3-year-old loves it so hopefully your kids will to!).
Nat x