Creamy ricotta pasta with broccolinni

My daughter was home from university last weekend and noticed a small
container of ricotta cheese in the fridge.  Lately, I have been
spreading it on toast, then showering it with lemon zest and capers,
adding few slices of smoked salmon, and finishing with tons of fresh
chopped dill for a fabulous and easy lunch.

My little doll likes to decompress from all her studies, and endless
sorority duties by watching U-Tube cooking videos.  There she discovered
that ricotta makes the most sublime creamy pasta sauce.  We quickly put
that new found knowledge to work whipping up this Creamy Ricotta Pasta
with Broccolinni.  It would be perfect for a quick week night dinner, or
in our case, a well deserved indulgent lunch.

I absolutely love what the kids are learning in college these days.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg pasta I used gf penne
• handful of kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 stalks of broccolinni chopped, or small broccoli florets
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a large handful of kosher salt, return to boil.

Add pasta, stir and cook 2 mins shy of the package recommended cooking time.

Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and set aside, drain pasta.

In the meantime, in a large skillet add the olive oil, heat over med/high heat.

Add the shallots and broccolinni, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until soft but not browned, approx 4-5 mins.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook another minute.

Now add the ricotta, lemon zest and 1/4 of the scooped out pasta water, stirring until nice and creamy.

You may have to add a bit more water to get the desired consistencey, adding a tablespoon at a time.

Add the pasta stirring until it is well coated with the sauce.

Turn off the heat and add the parmesan while continuing to stir.

Ladle into warmed bowls and top with more parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper.

Note:
sometimes when I am in a hurry I add the broccolinni, or any other
fresh vegetable, to the pasta while it is cooking. Add about 1-2
minutes before you were planning to drain.

Find more of Pamela’s gluten free recipes at PamelasGlutenFreeRecipes.com.