2 lb boxes of wagon wheel pasta
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 quart boxes of cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch bail
1 large hunk of ricotta salad cheese (approx 2 lbs at least)
1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Salt
This is a quick and easy summer salad.
Boil a big pot of water and when it is bubbly toss in the two pounds of wagon wheel pasta. Any odd shape will do like bow ties or rotelli springs like in this photo but I particularly like wagon wheels because the stay all dente and firm longer. Cook for about six or seven minutes until the pasta gets a little soft, not mushy but still very firm.
Drain and put in a metal mixing bowl. Pour in the Olive oil and salt the macaroni liberally. Then cover it with aluminum foil and let it sit for twenty minutes. It will continue to cook in the bowl while you are preparing the other ingredients.
Wash and then cut the tomatoes in half. Dice the ricotta salad into small hunks about an inch all around. This might sound big but this is a soft cheese and when you mix it the pieces will break up into smaller units. Clean the basil so you have only the leaf as the stems might be bitter.
Uncover the bowl and add the tomatoes and cheese. Take a large wooden spoon and place the salad in our serving bowl. Be gentle and try not to break apart the pasta or the cheese.
Right before serving add ¾ of the cup of Pecorino Romano and mix thoroughly but gently. Reserve the remainder of the cheese for anyone who likes it extra cheesy. Add the basil at the last minute for freshness, mixing once again thoroughly but gently.
This is my favorite quick and easy summer pasta salad that can be assembled while you are doing a lot of other stuff. The cheese and the freshness of the basil make it particularly tasty.
Salud.
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 quart boxes of cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch bail
1 large hunk of ricotta salad cheese (approx 2 lbs at least)
1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Salt
This is a quick and easy summer salad.
Boil a big pot of water and when it is bubbly toss in the two pounds of wagon wheel pasta. Any odd shape will do like bow ties or rotelli springs like in this photo but I particularly like wagon wheels because the stay all dente and firm longer. Cook for about six or seven minutes until the pasta gets a little soft, not mushy but still very firm.
Drain and put in a metal mixing bowl. Pour in the Olive oil and salt the macaroni liberally. Then cover it with aluminum foil and let it sit for twenty minutes. It will continue to cook in the bowl while you are preparing the other ingredients.
Wash and then cut the tomatoes in half. Dice the ricotta salad into small hunks about an inch all around. This might sound big but this is a soft cheese and when you mix it the pieces will break up into smaller units. Clean the basil so you have only the leaf as the stems might be bitter.
Uncover the bowl and add the tomatoes and cheese. Take a large wooden spoon and place the salad in our serving bowl. Be gentle and try not to break apart the pasta or the cheese.
Right before serving add ¾ of the cup of Pecorino Romano and mix thoroughly but gently. Reserve the remainder of the cheese for anyone who likes it extra cheesy. Add the basil at the last minute for freshness, mixing once again thoroughly but gently.
This is my favorite quick and easy summer pasta salad that can be assembled while you are doing a lot of other stuff. The cheese and the freshness of the basil make it particularly tasty.
Salud.
4 comments:
For those of us health conscious folks trying to watch our figures, we'd appreciate a calorie, fat and carb count on the tempting recipies.
Thank you :-)
I have a varient:
Cook a pound of your paste shape of choice, penne is mine.
heat oven to 400.
take package of cherry/grape tomatoes, cut them in half.
fill pyrex dish ( I use mine for lasagna also) with tomatoes with lots of olive oil on them, and good amount of red chili flakes. Bake for 10 minutes.
In mixing bowl combine cooked pasta, tomato oil mixture (while hot!), and 4ozs of feta cheese. Mix with either dried parsley or dried basil. Serve.
That sounds great cuz. I have to give it a try.
OK, I can eat this one! Yay!
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