1/2 lb(225 grams)Pasta, any type (spaghetti, fusilli, penne...)
1/2 cup(120 ml)pasta water, reserved to thin out the pesto
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve(optional)
freshly ground black pepper, to serve(optional)
Instructions
Sun-dried tomatoes
Add sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, olive oil, basil, garlic, and parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp scant of fine salt to a food processor and blend for a few seconds. You want a pesto-like consistency (coarse rather than a puree). Set aside until pasta is done.
Pasta
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salty water according to the package directions.
Drain the pasta when it's still al dente, but remember to reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Return the pasta to the pot along with the pesto and a touch of the pasta water. Toss over medium heat until everything is well combined, adding the rest of the pasta water as much as needed to make the pasta moist.
Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and grated parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgn olive oil if desired.
Notes
Sun dried tomatoes: I prefer oil-packed sun dried tomatoes for this recipe, they're soft and I use them straight from the jar. I used to buy them from TJ's when I lived in the States.Olive oil: feel free to use the flavorful sun dried tomato olive oil from the jar, just make sure the flavorings will work in the recipe (garlic and herbs are fine).Substitutions: you can swap cream cheese for ricotta and dry sun dried tomatoes (the ones without oil) for the jarred sun dried tomatoes.How to use "dry" sun dried tomatoes? These ones don’t have as much moisture as the oil-packed counterpart, so you have to hydrate them in water first to plump them up. Just let them soak in warm water for thirty minutes until soft, then drain and pat dry.Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.