Rigatoni con Ricotta “Da Tonino” – Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Fresh Ricotta Cheese Recipe

RIGATONI WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE AND FRESH RICOTTA

Opting to follow the crowds instead of the guidebooks, my husband, Doug, and I ended up in a packed working-class lunch spot in Naples one day. After a glance around, we decided to have what everyone else was having: rigatoni in tomato sauce topped with a dollop of snow-white ricotta, followed by sautéed friarielle, a dialect name for broccoli rabe, and cool, crisp grapes for dessert.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

¹/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons minced fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Pinch of hot pepper flakes
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup whole-milk ricotta, at room temperature
1 pound rigatoni or penne rigate

Preparation instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, and the hot pepper flakes and cook briefly to release the fragrance of the seasonings. Add the tomatoes, season with salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and flavorful, about 20 minutes. If it threatens to cook dry before the flavors have melded, add a little water and continue simmering.

In a bowl, whisk the ricotta until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until about 1 minute shy of al dente. Remove 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot over moderately low heat. Add the tomato sauce and cook for about 1 minute to allow the pasta to absorb some of the flavor of the sauce. Moisten with a little of the reserved pasta water as needed. Divide the pasta among warm bowls. Top each portion with a dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve immediately.

Recipe from the “Four Seasons Pasta: A Year of Inspired Recipes in the Italian Tradition” cookbook.