HappyCook80's Recipe

Rustic Tomato-Pancetta Pasta

Category: Recipes

Rustic Tomato-Pancetta Pasta

3 cups ricotta cheese
3 tbsps. olive oil
8 ozs. pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup coarsely chopped shallots
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 8ths
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
12 ozs. large dried tubular pasta, like rigatoni

Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Heat 2 tbsps. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered, about 10 minutes.

Transfer with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the ricotta. Add the shallots to the rendered fat and oil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the
ricotta with a slotted spoon.

Add all but 1 tbsp. of the parsley, the sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the ricotta and fold all together.
Shortly before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add
the remaining tablespoon of oil and the pasta and cook until just tender.

Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and reserve. Drain the pasta and toss it well with the ricotta mixture, adding about 2 tbsps. of the reserved cooking liquid, or more according to taste, to give a creamy texture to the sauce. Adjust the seasonings and serve immediately, garnished with the other tbsp. of parsley.
Serves 6.