Sausage and Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
Shells with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, basil, parm and whipped ricotta
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Lunch, Main Course
- 3/4 lb medium or large shell pasta
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage pork or turkey
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cup chopped greens - kale, spinach, etc fresh or frozen
- 1 cup basil julienned
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 cup ricotta cheese whipped with salt, pepper, garlic powder and parm to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated parm
Cook pasta according to instructions and reserve some pasta water to use in the sauce.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium and take the sausage out of the casings and cook, breaking apart, until browned and cooked through. Add the shallots and garlic and cook another few minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes as well as the greens and the rest of the seasonings, except the basil and ricotta. Thin with pasta water as needed to create a thick sauce and simmer for a few minutes while you make the whipped ricotta.
In a small food processor or with a blender wand, whip the ricotta with the seasonings to taste until it is smooth and fluffy.
Add pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Ladle into a bowl and top with whipped ricotta, basil and grated parm.
Keyword Lunch, Main Dish, Pasta