Lemon Tomato Ricotta Pasta

It’s springtime, which means all. things. ZEST. I cooked this one up in the kitchen after a day in the sun, and it just involved everything I had in the fridge that reminded me of spring. See the full recipe below, grab a glass of your favorite rosé, and enjoy this nice springtime weather (at least in Texas, before it gets too hot to be outside).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb long pasta (I used fettuccine because it’s what was lying in my pantry)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup of starchy pasta water

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 white onion

• A splash of rosé wine (and grab a glass for yourself to celebrate this delish dish)

• Red chili flakes

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/3 cup ricotta

• 1 large lemon (seriously, this lemon was humongous, so if you don’t have a huge one, use 2 lemons)

• TONS of the large lemon’s zest

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

2. While the water is boiling, roughly chop the onion and add to a large pan on medium with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir until translucent (about 1 min).

3. Add in the cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, and cook down in a splash of your favorite springtime rosé wine (don’t forget to pour yourself a glass while you’re at it!), for a few minutes until the mixture reaches a thicker consistency and the alcohol is cooked out.

4. Adjust heat to low, and fold in as much lemon zest as you can (I pretty much used the entire large AF lemon), along with 1/2 of the large lemon’s juice.

5. Add in 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and some chili flakes for an extra kick. Salt to taste.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 egg yolks with a little more zest and lemon juice with the ricotta.

7. Add the al dente pasta into the saucepan. Fold in the egg yolk & ricotta mixture with a bit of the starchy pasta water, and mix thoroughly until it’s a velvety, saucy texture. The creaminess of the the ricotta, yolk mixture perfectly blends with the sweetness from the cherry tomatoes to create this ultimate zest cream tomato sauce - truly the best springtime dish.

8. Serve immediately and top with more zest & a squirt of lemon juice. ENJOY and tell me what you think!