Whipped Ricotta White Pesto Fusilli
“Hold up. Wait a minute. It’s a”… PASTA DISH THAT’S FINE DINING QUALITY BUT REQUIRES LITTLE TIME AND NO EFFORT! It must be hiding something, so with a few clues and our intricate knowledge of the world of pasta, we aimed to find out who this pasta dish is really. After extensive research and stalking we have formulated how pasta can be disguised as a fine dining dining but made in under 10 minutes in your own home, how it was achieved and the brains behind this whole operation.
Just, kidding. Well not with the part about this dish being a really simple and easy to make to one up those under 30 minute midweek meals. And also certainly not about this dish being super easy AND being dressed up as something a little bit fancy that’s out of that normal spaghetti with tomato sauce bubble. AND AND AND also not about the part of understanding the pasta world enough to know the clues that enables this dish to be bang, bang, boom (ie. on the table in a jiffy). So I guess I wasn’t really joking around - kinda just wanted to be a sky for 5 minutes.
On to understanding the few little steps that not only creates and makes this dish but also cuts out all the long, unnecessary cooking time that just adds pain to being in the kitchen. No one wants to fluff around in the kitchen when this can be spent else where (even getting your nails done or persuading your kiddies to give you that much needed - and this time necessary - massage). It’s pretty logical if you ask me… just no cooking (expect the pasta of course).
Whip together raw ingredients to form a light, fluffy and “looking a million bucks” sauce which is suited to any time of year. Throw in and sprinkle on top the more powerful flavour elements, for the finishing touches to create a dish that’s multi-layered in taste and aesthetics.
Don’t have fusilli? Don’t worry, this dish can still be all yours. Just substitute to what you have in your pantry or what you can get your hands on in the store. The reason why I like fusilli for this dish is because the sauce gets trapped in the ringlets so at every bite you can be assured of that thick, creamy and slightly tangy burst. The only thing I will add my two cents on is the pasta quality you source because unfortunately in this instants, quality means better result. I would advise to buy good quality pasta (which is often slightly more expensive) or even better yet, fresh pasta because not only is there a basic flavour in the pasta compared with died, cheap brands but also the cooking time is so small, you can get an even longer massage!
So the moral of the story is just because you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, doesn’t mean you have to settle on dull, boring or bland dishes for dinner. There are exciting, time savvy recipes that will give you extra minutes on the clock and excite those tastebuds with something a little bit special.
Whipped Ricotta White Pesto Fusilli
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 tbsp chives, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
300grams fusilli
Method
In a large pot, cook pasta according to the instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water
In a small pan, toast the pine nuts on high heat until golden. Remove from the heat and roughly chop into small shards.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whip the ricotta along with the garlic, lemon juice, salt, parmesan, chives and pepper. This normally takes 3-4 minutes or until the ricotta expands a little and fluffs up.
Add the oil a little at a time, mixing to combine. Add half of the pasta water, mix to combine. Add pasta and pine nuts, stir to combine so sauce is completely covered. Serve immediately.
