Whole Wheat Penne with Pesto and Ricotta

February 2008

Whole Wheat Penne with Pesto and Ricotta

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By: Rachael Ray

4 servings Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 1 pound whole wheat penne rigate pasta
  • 1/3 cup walnut pieces (a generous handful)
  • 1 cup packed spinach or baby spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup packed arugula leaves
  • 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
  • Pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 2/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
  2. In a small skillet, toast the nuts over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes; let cool. Using a food processor, puree the nuts, spinach, arugula, parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper. With the machine on, pour in the EVOO in a steady stream and mix until a thick paste forms. Transfer the pesto to a large pasta bowl; stir in the parmigiano-reggiano and reserved pasta cooking water.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and honey, season with pepper and set aside.
  4. Add the pasta to the pesto, toss and let stand for 1 minute. Serve with dollops of the honey ricotta.