A dear friend asked me to bring a pasta salad as a side to her barbecue. Of course, I'll be happy to bring what ever you need. Rather than opt for a traditional mayonnaise based salad, I decided to get creative and stick to my cooking mantra. Fresh is always better. And unfortunately, nothing spoils a picnic like lukewarm egg products. I decided that ricotta would make a more stable dish. I modeled my dish after the classic Caprese salad, with fresh soft cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil. Baby spinach lightens the mix of flavors and adds a crunchy texture to the otherwise soft dish.
Ricotta Pasta Salad
Serves 10
1 pound dry pasta, orchiette preferred (I used shells but they tended to roll into each other) 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces baby spinach, chopped
16 ounces ricotta
Three handfuls fresh basil leaves, minced (yes, that looks like a lot)
One garlic clove minced
5 sprigs fresh oregano or parsley, minced
- Slice tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt and a little sugar and place in a colander to drain excess water.
- Prepare pasta in salt water as directed until cooked to desired softness
- Chop spinach and place in the bottom of the serving dish
- Slice and mince all other ingredients until pasta is done.
- Drain pasta, and immediately transfer to serving dish, to cover the spinach (this wilts the spinach to take some of the rawness out.) Stir to incorporate.
- Spread the ricotta over the top, allowing the cheese to melt a little.
- Mix in the herbs and garlic into the ricotta a little at a time to control herb intensity.
- Season the dish with salt and pepper liberally, and to taste.
- Serve cold, room temperature, or hot (if you like creamy sauces).
