Fresh Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta

I first saw this recipe on Cate's World Kitchen and thought it looked great. Shortly after, I saw it on a couple other blogs, which of course made me want to make it even more. I finally remembered to buy ricotta, and I can say this was every bit as delicious as I expected it to be and perhaps even more! It was a beautiful evening, so we enjoyed this wonderful meal out on our deck, along with crusty multi-grain bread and some glasses of wine.

I've always been under the impression you had to have a pasta roller in order to make your own pasta, but Cate made it sound easy enough to do with just a rolling pin and a pizza cutter so I decided to try it. If that's a little too ambitious, you could always buy fresh pasta from the grocery, but it really was easy. In fact, even making the pasta, this meal came together fairly quick (with the exception of straining the ricotta) but tasted like something that took much longer.

Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta,

Slightly adapted from Jamie Oliver (via Cate's World Kitchen)

1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta (part-skim is fine) drained in a cheesecloth-lined strainer for a few hours

1 tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 medium onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes with juices

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

sugar, to taste (I omitted, as my tomatoes were sweet enough)

1 lb. wide pasta, such a pappardalle (recipe for fresh pasta, below)

a handful of fresh basil, torn

freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 400. Place drained ricotta in the center of a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to a 1 inch thick disk. Rub with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake for 15 minutes and set aside.

Cook pasta according to recipe or package directions. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water, and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes into pieces. Stir in salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Taste, and add a small amount of sugar, if needed.

Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce. If neccessary, add a tbsp or two of the reserved pasta water. (If using the fresh pasta recipe below, there will be plenty of sauce to coat the pasta without the water.)

To serve, transfer pasta and sauce to serving dishes, and top with crumbled ricotta, basil and parmesan.

Fresh pasta

adapted from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver, via Cate's World Kitchen

2 cups flour (I used unbleached all purpose)

3 whole eggs

kosher salt

Wisk together flour and a few pinches of salt. Make a well into the center and crack the eggs into it. Using a fork, wisk the eggs together without mixing in any flour until they're smooth and yellow.

Once the eggs are beaten, mix into the flour. Once it becomes too thick to stir, turn out onto the counter and knead for for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth. (This can be done up to two days ahead- knead until smooth, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

When ready to use, lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Roll dough into a large rectangle so it's less than an 1/8 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut into strips of desired thickness.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the pasta in a few strands at a time, stirring so they don't stick together. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain but do not rinse.