Pasta with Ricotta Cream Sauce and Lemon

Ricotta and lemon sauce

1. We usually choose a long, thick pasta, and bucatini is perfect. Spaghetti or spaghettoni (which are thicker), bavette, or even more exotic maccheroncini or ziti will also work. Fresh ricotta is available in stores, packed in 150-300 g tubs. It is a tasty fresh cheese that looks a lot like cottage cheese, although they are based on different milk proteins. It is best to use fairly rich, and of course natural, cream. To make the dish look good we always add slices of sun-dried tomatoes, and besides, they taste great.

   

   No fat is added to this dish. The cream and ricotta have enough to give the sauce a creamy consistency. If you don’t want to use cream, use regular milk and a piece of butter, aiming for a sauce a little thicker than store-bought kefir.

   Cook the pasta while you make the sauce. The sauce comes together even faster than the pasta cooks, so put the water on the heat right away.

2. Mix the ricotta with half of the cream (125 ml). Transfer the ricotta from the tub to a saucepan or skillet; it doesn’t matter which, since the heat treatment is minimal. Pour in half of the cream (125 ml) and mash the cheese so it blends with the cream. If you can, blitz the mixture with an immersion blender to make it even smoother.

   

3. Season the mixture with lemon and salt. Squeeze out a little fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp is enough, though it’s up to your taste. Grate the zest from the lemon, also 1 tbsp or more. Salt the ricotta and cream very lightly, add the zest and lemon juice, and stir everything well.

4. Heat the sauce with the rest of the cream. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to show signs of boiling, then add the rest of the cream. Long cooking isn’t needed; 1-2 mins from the start of boiling after adding all the cream is enough. Add more salt and lemon juice if you like, you may want to boost the flavor. Turn the heat down to the minimum and cover the skillet with a lid so the sauce stays warm.

   

Pasta

1. Cook the pasta until al dente. In a big pot, bring 2 l of water with 14 g of salt (7 g per 1 l of water) to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite. The cooking time is on the package; for long pasta it is usually 8-10 mins.

2. Combine the pasta with the sauce. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander, then transfer it to the skillet with the sauce. Toss gently and thoroughly.

   

Serving

1. Divide the pasta among plates and add the sun-dried tomatoes. The tomato pieces are usually quite large; in Italy, San Marzano tomatoes are traditionally dried. Cut each piece in half lengthwise, then arrange on top of the pasta.

   

2. If you like, sprinkle the pasta with grated Parmesan and a little lemon zest to boost the aroma. Serve while the pasta is hot.

   Don’t reheat this dish, it’s better to make it fresh.