Pasta with walnuts and ricotta

[shain]

This feeds 4 at my place.

 

 

Ingredients

 

• 400g dry pasta  - I prefer to use y "open" pasta e.g. conchiglie, orecchiette, pipe, castellane; but most short or long pasta shape will work.
• 130-150g walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped 

 

For walnut sauce:

• half of the walnuts
• apx. 20g Parmesan
• 1/4 cup (60g) milk
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• a generous grating of nutmeg

 

For ricotta:

• 200-250g ricotta cheese
  • A good ricotta should be naturally sweet enough, but if not, you can add some honey
• a bit of lemon zest (optional)
• a little grated nutmeg (optional)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

 

To serve:

• More grated Parmesan
• remaining half of walnuts
• a small drizzle of honey, per serving (optional)

 

Method

• Toast the pasta in a 150 C (300 F) hot oven, until reddish-brown. If it starts to crack, that's the time to stop. Make sure to toast evenly, otherwise it won't boil evenly either.
• Mix together the ricotta mixture, set aside.
• Blend the walnut sauce ingredients together until smooth. Add a bit of milk if needed.
• Cook the pasta in salted water until it's to your liking. You will find that toasted pasta takes a while longer to cook.
• Meanwhile, bring the ricotta to a warmish serving temp. A careful short pass through the microwave does the trick. 
• Mix the pasta with the walnut sauce, adding from the cooking water as needed.
• Taste and adjust.
• Plate the pasta. Place dollops of ricotta on the plate. Finish with chopped walnuts, Parmesan and honey.