Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Pesto Pasta
Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Pesto Pasta. Creamy ricotta pesto coated Paccheri with pancetta and oven roasted tomatoes topped with pine nuts, thyme, and fresh basil. Summer sunday pasta that’s super saucy, herby, and just delicious…doesn’t get much better !! And have the wine ready because it’s Sunday !!
Another weekend in the books, and we now have one summer weekend left. Honestly I am kind of in shock about it. The summer flew by so much quicker than I had ever expected. But don’t get me wrong, it was an amazing one. So many great memories from our first summer at the new beach house. A big turn around from last summer, that is for sure.
But since there is only one weekend left, I definitely have some Sunday scaries as I am sitting here reflecting on the amazing summer I have had. So pasta is a must. And wine is also a must. And who doesn’t love a saucy pesto pasta on Sunday?! Throw in some herbs and roasted cherry tomatoes to make it summery. And some ricotta and pancetta to make it extra fancy and decadent. We all could use an indulgent pasta dish on a Sunday, am I right?
Another weekend ends, but it always ends with good food and good wine. And tomorrow I am taking the day off from work, so that definitely makes the scaries a little less scary. But I am definitely sad the weekend is over. Last night was super fun and we had tons of good food and good cocktails.
The holiday weekend is ahead of us and I have some really exciting recipes planned and I have a lot of exciting plans in general. So stay tuned to what we have in store !! Cheers !!
Ingredients
10 ounce jar oil packed sun-dried tomatoes; drained and oil reserved
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes; without oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
juice of 1 lemon
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/4 cup walnuts
4 tablespoons olive oil; divided
1/4 pound pancetta; chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove; chopped
1/4 cup white wine
10 ounces cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 pound short-cut pasta
fresh basil and thyme for serving
Directions
To the bowl of a food processor, add the oiled sun-dried tomatoes, the plain sun-dried tomatoes, black pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, and walnuts. Process on low speed and slowly add the reserved sun-dried tomato oil until smooth.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook for 3 - 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and sauté 1 - 2 minutes. Add the white wine to deglaze the skillet. Add the pesto and keep warm over low heat.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 - 15 minutes or until tomatoes burst.
Cook the pasta. Drain, saving 1 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet with the pesto. Add pasta water as needed. Serve topped with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and thyme.
