Summery Pasta Idea... Pasta with Baby Spinach, Herbs and Ricotta

I made this recipe for my unsuspecting victims last night... and it got excellent reviews! Even I liked it, and I hate spinach unless I can't taste it in a recipe.  But I was looking for something light, and something that would use some of my favorite summer herbs. I frequently refer to basil as my "happy smell" (What? You don't have one?!). By that, I mean it will put a smile on my face all the time, even when I'm in a foul mood. My kids frequently try to shove it under my nose in the food store if I keep telling them they can't get something. It never changes my answer, but it does make me happy. But tied for that first place spot of my favorite herb would be dill. I absolutely love it. And this recipe included it, so I already liked it. Dill equals summer to me, so it was exactly what I was looking for.  Additionally, you may notice that unless it's bad weather or cold out, my warm weather recipes will usually have 5 ingredients or less. I like to keep it simple and quick in the summer, because I have kids on the Slip N Slide, a garden with a mind of its own and my own cabin fever to contend with. So I don't have a lot of time to devote to recipes with 116 ingredients and steps.

Here are the ingredients. And the hyperlink to Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs and Ricotta.

Please note that when I say "5 Ingredients", I mean above and beyond the staples in your pantry (salt, pepper etc). The flowers are optional, but always helpful!!

• 8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta). This proved impossible to find, so use fettucine.


• 1 tablespoon kosher salt


• 1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese


• 3 cups baby spinach leaves


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill


• 3 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time, before preparing pasta. Just chop up the herbs and throw them into a Ziploc or one large bowl.  Please also note this: YOU NEED TO SAVE ONE CUP OF COOKING LIQUID FROM THE PASTA WHEN YOU DRAIN IT.  I never read ahead in a recipe, and usually have JUST drained the pasta right down the drain when I get around to reading that part.



Once you've prepared the herbs and seasonings, set them aside. Prepare pasta as directed on package, and once it's done combine 1/2 cup of the previously mentioned cooking water and your ricotta in a blender/processor and process until....well, until it's well processed!  When you're done, you'll be saying "Duh, you said 1 full cup! What do I do with this other 1/2 cup?"  At least, that's what I did. This extra is just in case you'd like to thin it out a little or change the consistency.   Add the ricotta/water mixture to the pasta, add in the spinach, herbs and remaining ingredients. Including salt and pepper. In case you think I've gone "girly" and that's my lovely manicured hand "peppering" in this picture? It's not, and you must not know me well.  It's my hand model/host/tester/dear friend Andrea. She's girly and good at it. Me? Not so much.



Toss it all lightly together and there it is. Summer Pasta. Now here's a few tips that I recommend: this would be great with chicken added in for a more substantial meal (though perfect the way it is for really hot days when you want to keep it light).  I'd also either cook down the spinach just a little prior to adding it, or I'd halve (half?) the recommended amount.  I'd leave it the way it is if you're adding chicken. And I would not forget the salt, like I did.  This would also be great with edemame or chick peas added. Its a great recipe to "make your own" any way you'd like. Enjoy with friends and a nice, crisp white wine.  Thanks to Andrea and Bill for allowing me to cook/make a mess of their kitchen and being my testers! And my hand model!