0 from 15 votes
Pasta with homemade tomato sauce and ricotta
A delicious Italian homemade tomato sauce and creamed fresh ricotta make this simple dish one you'll want to make time and again.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 587 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 400 g spaccatelle pasta or pasta of your choice
- 200 g fresh ricotta
- 20-24 cherry tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
- 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 50 g Parmesan Cheese grated (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and chop the basil
- Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. If you want, you can blanch the tomatoes and peel them first or cook them with all the peel. I usually cook small tomatoes with the peel.
- Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet, add the cloves of garlic.
- As soon as the garlic begins to brown slightly, add the chopped tomatoes, a few leaves of basil and a pinch of salt. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Cook the pasta slightly less than al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- While the pasta is cooking, put the ricotta in a bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and cream with a fork until you have a creamy consistency.
- When the pasta is ready, save a cup of the water and drain it. Add the pasta to the pan with the tomato sauce and mix the sauce and pasta together well. Remove the garlic cloves if you prefer.
- Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for a minute or 2 on a low heat, adding some of the pasta cooking water if necessary.
- When cooked, remove the pasta from the heat and add some chopped fresh basil.
- You can add the ricotta to the pasta and mix well or you can put it in the bottom of the pasta bowls and put the pasta and tomato sauce on top (this is what I did!) Serve with some more fresh basil, black pepper and grated parmesan if required.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- I used Sicilian spaccatelle for this recipe but you can use almost any pasta type. Spaghetti or penne are traditional choices.
- You can serve this dish without the ricotta, which is how many Italians often eat it!
Nutrition Information
Calories
587kcal
(29%)
Carbohydrates
81g
(27%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
18g
(28%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
8g
Cholesterol
34mg
(11%)
Sodium
258mg
(11%)
Potassium
480mg
(14%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
762IU
(15%)
Vitamin C
20mg
(22%)
Calcium
286mg
(29%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 587
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 587kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 81g | 27% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 34mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 258mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 480mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 762IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 20mg | 22% |
| Calcium | 286mg | 29% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.