If there is anything I love eating more than chocolate, it's pasta. Clearly my food preferences don't lie in the 'lower in calories' end of the food spectrum. But I don't let that spoil any of the pleasure I derive from eating either of them. Because I do my best to keep in mind the adage 'everything in moderation'. With continued weeks of heat and humidity around here, dishes that don't require turning on the oven are a godsend. Consider this platter of Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta to be one of them.
Some pasta dishes are meant to be served as the entree, while others can either be a side dish or a separate course. The Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta can be any of these. The versatility of this pasta dish makes it even more appealing. And that's even before telling you how delicious and easy it is to make.
I am going to tell you now that you want, not you need, to serve the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta with some thick slices of a great loaf of Italian bread. Because you will want something to mop up any of the rich, luscious, creamy sauce left in your bowl.
With many pasta dishes, it sometimes doesn't always matter what kind or type of pasta you use. However, there are times when pairing the 'right' type of pasta with a sauce really does matter. And with this dish it definitely matters. Using a paccheri or large rigatoni-type tube pasta not only helps the sauce adhere to its' surface, it seeps into the long wide tubes creating the most swoonworthy bite. Paccheri pasta could not be a more perfect partner with the creamy roasted red pepper ricotta sauce. However, if for some reason you can't find it, then look for the biggest rigatoni pasta you can find.
You only need to use your stovetop to make the pasta.The sauce comes together in a food processor or blender. Yes, it's a no-cook sauce. The creaminess of the sauce depends on how long you process it. If you want small chunks of the roasted red peppers and sun dried tomatoes, then you won't process it as long (like I did). But if you want it to have that smooth, luscious, velvety look, then by all means process it longer. The consistency of the sauce is dependent on how much pasta water you add to the sauce. For a thicker sauce, you are going to use less and for a thinner sauce, you will use more. In retrospect, I would have added much more than a half-cup of pasta water because it would have slightly lightened the sauce up. And there would have been a little more sauce to mop up with the bread. In the recipe below I give you a range of 1/2 cup to 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Landing in the middle (3/4 cup) might actually be your best starting point. Note: This sauce is intended to be slightly on the thicker side, so be certain not to add to much pasta water to give it a soupy consistency.
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This Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta is more of a mildly warm, room temperature dish. Which makes it perfect for serving on a blazing hot day. It is meant to be served immediately after it has been assembled. Although, if you leave the platter out at room temperature before wrapping up any leftovers to put in the refrigerator, don't be surprised if you find yourself or others grabbing a piece of two of the sauce ladened pasta. Note: When heating any leftovers, heat just until they are warm to the touch.
If served as an entree, choose a favorite platter, garnish with some fresh basil and pair the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta with a gorgeous salad, one dressed in an oil and vinegar type of dressing. If serving it as a side dish, serve it with some roasted chicken, salmon, or maybe even a perfectly grilled and sliced ribeye. Whatever you do, don't forget to serve it with some bread. It would be borderline sacrilegious not to.
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Recipe
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 pound bag of paccheri pasta, cooked to a point past al dente but not to a fall apart one.
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
16 ounces (451g) whole-milk ricotta
12 ounce (340g) jar of drained roasted red peppers (in water, not oil)
1/4 to 1/3 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (about 5-6 whole pieces of sun-dried tomatoes or 66g)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup to 1 cup of the reserved pasta water (recommend beginning with 3/4 cup)
Fresh stems of basil or parsley for garnish
Loaf of an Italian bread, thickly sliced
Directions
1. While you are cooking the pasta, start making the creamy roasted red pepper ricotta sauce.
2. In the bowl of a large food processor (or blender) add in the garlic, olive oil, ricotta, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and Kosher salt. Process until smooth. Note: Process longer for the smoothest sauce.
3. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water.
4. Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the sauce in the food processor. Blend well. Check for consistency. If you want it slightly thinner (although this is a sauce on the slightly thick side) sauce, add in a little more of the pasta water.
5. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl. Toss in the pasta. Mix until well blend.
6. Transfer the mixed pasta to a large serving platter or bowl. Drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil. Garnish with fresh sprigs of basil and/or parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes: (1) I used jarred red pepper to make the sauce, but you could easily roast your own red peppers. Look for roasted red peppers in water, not oil. (2) Most Italian grocery stores will sell imported bags of paccheri pasta. But sometimes you can find it a specialty store or a Whole Foods. If you can't find it, use the largest size rigatoni you can find.
