I hesitate to call this a recipe, as it is beyond simple. I adapted it from Sam Sifton’s brilliant no-measurement cookbook, and added guesstiment amounts of each ingredient – but you should make it to your personal taste.
Sauté 2 large, sliced shallots, 5 cloves minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Add the juice of one lemon, hot pepper flakes (you know your heat preference), and a large bunch of basil, torn. Mix the sauté into 2 cups ricotta cheese, softened with a bit of olive oil (start with 1/4 cup, add more as needed ) to break the ricotta down to a thick-sour-cream consistency.
Cook the fettuccine – in the amount required for your family. Plate the fettuccine, dollop the ricotta mixture over 1/3-1/2 of the fettuccine, and garnish with basil leaves.
Options: substitute the water from the boiled pasta for the oil; replace the basil with mint (as recommended in the cookbook); drizzle a rich, red marinara sauce over some of the ricotta; chop a fresh tomato and sprinkle it over the ricotta; finish the entire plate with a dusting of grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.
simples and cheesy…colour me a fan
guess ill pick up some ricotta when i go to the shops again later
(oooh now my shopping will be like $4 instead of the 40 cents i was planning to spend…..yes im so bored i planned a whole shopping trip for some rolling papers….gotta get my steps in)
That sounds pretty kick ass.
Oh I love meals like this! Thank you for sharing!