Slow-roasted Campari Tomato Pesto Pasta with Ricotta
It's a lovely day when you know dinner is the ultimate in simplicity and rich flavors. And was made ahead over the weekend to splurge on all week. A pile full of slow-roasted Campari tomatoes are blended with a little basil, walnuts and Parmesan to make the best tomato pesto sauce. Toss with some hot pasta, a plop of creamy ricotta and dinner is served! Talk about easy!
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 6 caprese tomatoes cored and cut in chunks
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 fresh whole basil leaves plus more for garnish as desired
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ½ lb tagliatelle pasta or your favorite pasta
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325˚.
- Add the chopped tomatoes to a sheet pan and toss with 2 T of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast in the oven on a middle rack for 1 hour until caramelized and golden. Toss halfway through if needed. Cool completely.6 caprese tomatoes, ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- To the bowl of a food processor (not mini), add the roasted tomatoes, basil leaves, and walnuts. Pulse about 10-12 times until the basil leaves are chopped.8 fresh whole basil leaves, ¼ cup walnuts
- While the processor is running, pour the olive oil in a small stream, keeping an eye on the pesto. You don't want it liquefied or too wet but a thin paste. You can always add more oil.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste and add more salt and pepper as need½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Cook the tagliatelle according to the package directions and reserve about ½ cup of pasta water. Toss the pesto with the cookied pesto, adding some reserved pasta water.Top the pasta with plops of ricotta and toss together to make a creamy sauce. Add more parmesan and seasoning as needed and a garnish of fresh basil.½ lb tagliatelle pasta
Notes
Food processor pesto tips:
- Use the pulse button only. This will give you the texture you want and more control over the finished pesto.
- Pour the olive oil in a stream into the bowl as you pulse/run the machine. No dumping - you might not need all of it and that's ok!
- Stir in the ricotta at the end or right before serving with the hot pasta. This helps make a creamy sauce and won't dilute the flavor of the pesto..