Spring Is In The Air and In My Pasta!
It’s been a minute since I last got a bee in my bonnet to make some homemade pasta. Nothing says spring for me like a little light-as-air, homemade Lemon Pasta with Peas and a topping of fresh, homemade Ricotta Cheese, then for good measure, a bit of garlicky, crispy bread crumbs for crunch.
This delicious dish can be as easy as adding all store bought ingredients and ready in 20 minutes. Or, you can get in the kitchen and whip it all up from scratch. Whichever direction you choose, this is one satisfyingly tasty dinner.
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
If you’re one of the thousands hundreds dozens of regular readers of my blog, you know that I love to make homemade ricotta cheese. It’s so easy and it tastes so much better than anything you buy in the stores. Not to mention that it’s less expensive too. I gallon of whole milk makes about 3 cups of delicious, creamy ricotta cheese. It freezes well to, so you always have some when you need it. Here’s a link to the recipe: https://wp.me/p9KEfL-9P
Homemade Pasta
I also love to make homemade pasta. There’s such a miracle in adding a few simple ingredients and the final result can be magical. Pasta is one of those things. The recipe technique is nearly as old as bread making. I can make pasta for 4 in about 15 minutes, plus resting time. If you’ve every been tempted to give it a try, I urge you to do so. You won’t be sorry.
Into a large bowl, add 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together with a fork, then form a well into the center, so the flour is on the sides. Into the bottom of the well, add 1 tablespoon of oil with 3 whole eggs. Using your fork, mix the eggs until combined, then slowly start incorporating the flour.
Once the mixture won’t easily take on any more flour, discard the fork and using your hands, form a ball. Gently kneed the dough into the remaining flour until it’s no longer sticky. Form into a ball, then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Set up your pasta roller. Unwrap the pasta and cut into quarters. Take one quarter our, cover the rest in plastic. Into a well floured work surface, gently work the dough into a disc. Put it through the pasta roller on the widest setting. Fold, then put it through again. Do this several times on the lowest settings. Once you get to 3, put it through once each level until 5 or 6, depending on the thickness you prefer. The thinner, the more tender the pasta. Keep the pasta well floured to prevent sticking.
Once you have your flat sheet of dough, using one hand, add flour, then fold the dough over about 3 times. Trim the edges, then cut the dough to the desired width.
Cooking Fresh Pasta
Set a pot of water to boil, add at least 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Once boiling, add all the pasta and cook for about 4-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta. Drain, but keep some of the pasta water for your sauce.
Lemon Pasta with Peas and Ricotta and a Crunchy Garlic Topping
This recipe comes together really quickly, so it’s best to do all your prep work ahead of the actual cooking. Here we go!
Set a pot of water to boil, salt heavily, at least 1 tablespoon. While the water is coming to a boil…..
Finely slice 2 shallots, set aside. Mince 2 cloves of garlic, set aside. Zest 4 lemons and then juice the lemons, set aside. (You’ll need about 1/2 cup juice for the sauce, plus 1/3 cup for the ricotta. Then, about 1 tablespoon each of zest for the ricotta and the sauce)
Into a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced shallots and cook until translucent.
In another smaller saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 cup of panko bread crumbs and 1/2 of the minced garlic. Cook until the bread crumbs are nicely toasted and fragrant from the garlic. Once brown remove from the heat and to keep from turning to dark, pour the crumbs into a small bowl, Set aside.
Return to the shallots and add the remaining garlic and cook another minute. Then, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Add 2 cups of frozen baby peas. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Into a small bowl add 1 cup of ricotta cheese with 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper. Mix well and set aside.
When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook as directed for fresh or dried pasta. Once done, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of water for the sauce.
Add the cooked past to the pea mixture, and toss to coat. To thicken the sauce, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce. Add any of the remaining zest. Let cook another 2 minutes, then remove to a large serving bowl. Top with dollops of the ricotta. Next, top with the toasted bread crumbs. Serve with fresh lemon slices and top with chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
Pasta, Lemon with Peas and Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1/2 lb dried pasta
- 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water
- 1 cup fresh made ricotta or store bought, whole or low fat
- 4 lemons, zest and juice, divided (1/2 cup juice + 1 tablespoon zest for the sauce and 1/3 cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest for the ricotta cheese, below)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- 2 cups frozen baby peas
- 2 large shallots, sliced
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup pasta
For the crispy garlic bread topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
garnish
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Make the garlic bread crumbs
- Into a small saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.
- Once hot, add 1 cup of panko bread crumbs and 1 clove of finely minced garlic.
- Cook until the bread crumbs are nicely toasted and fragrant from the garlic.
- Once brown remove from the heat and to keep from turning to dark, pour the crumbs into a small bowl, Set aside.
For the Pasta Sauce
- Into a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the sliced shallots and cook until translucent.
- Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
- season with salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.
- Add 2 cups of frozen baby peas. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Prepare the Ricotta Cheese
- Meanwhile, Into a small bowl add 1 cup of ricotta cheese with 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook as directed for fresh or dried pasta. Once done, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of water for the sauce.
- Add the cooked past to the pea mixture, and toss to coat.
- To thicken the sauce, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce.
- Add any of the remaining lemon zest.
- Let cook another 2 minutes, then remove to a large serving bowl.
- Top with dollops of the ricotta.
- Next, top with the toasted bread crumbs.
