Fresh Lemon Linguine
with Summer Vegetable Sauce & Seasoned Ricotta
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces Fresh Lemon Linguine Pasta
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Summer Squash
- 1 Heirloom Tomato
- 1 Red Onion
- 1 Bunch Basil
- 1/2 Cup Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
From your pantry:
Instructions
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Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel the garlic; thinly slice 3 of the garlic cloves. Mince the remaining garlic clove, using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). Trim off and discard the stem end of the squash; cut into 2-inch-long sticks. Core and large dice the tomato. Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion. Pick the basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems.
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Start the sauce:
In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced garlic and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened and fragrant. Add the tomato and as much of the crushed red pepper flakes as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until thickened and saucy.
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Season the ricotta:
While the sauce cooks, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and garlic paste. Stir in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Finish the sauce:
Add the squash to the pan of sauce; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until softened.
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Cook the pasta:
While the squash cooks, using your hands, carefully separate the strands of the pasta; add to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water, thoroughly drain the cooked pasta and transfer directly to the pan of sauce.
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Finish & plate your dish:
Add all but a pinch of the Parmesan cheese and ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan of cooked pasta and sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is thoroughly coated. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished pasta between 2 dishes. Top each with the seasoned ricotta cheese. Garnish with the basil (tearing just before adding) and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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