Pasta with Ricotta Cheese and Greens

Well, I posted a picture of this dinner on facebook and was asked to put the recipe up.  So I am kindly obliging with this yummy recipe.  This is a variation on a recipe found at Williams-Sonoma.  I sometimes get a bit intimidated with Williams-Sonoma because the recipes seems to involve a long list of ingredients or the steps just seem like orchestrating a symphony.  But this one, I assure you is very simple and quick to make.

Pasta with Ricotta Cheese and Greens

Ingredients

Coarse kosher salt, to taste
1 bunch spinach, thick stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
6 to 8 oz. dried penne, or macaroni that will grab on to cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground thyme
sprinkling of minced onion
splash of lemon juice
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Steps:
1. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and boil until the greens are just tender, approximately one minute.
2. Using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer the greens to a colander and drain. Return the water in the pot to a boil, add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 10 minutes.
3. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta in the same colander with the greens. Return the pasta to the pot, press on the greens to remove some of the excess water and add the greens to the pot.
4. Add the olive oil, thyme, shallot and lemon zest and toss to coat. Mix in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and ricotta cheeses. If the mixture is dry, add enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to moisten. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Divide between warmed plates and serve immediately. Serves 2.

The Final Product:

As I said at the top of the post, this was quick and easy.  Well, the waiting for the water to boil part was somewhat of a pain but once you start with the greens the remainder of the process only takes about 15 minutes.  This will be a great summer time dish - when I want pasta but do not want all of the heavy sauce and meatballs along with it.  Now, our only reservation is that while it is light, we feel it would do with a little bit more spice or heat - so try adding some oregano or red pepper to the mixture.

Enjoy!