Description

This bright and creamy Cascatelli recipe is the perfect way to try out your new pasta.

Ingredients

Scale

16oz dry Cascatelli Pasta
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tb olive oil
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
10 Basil leaves, finely chopped
10 mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4c pistachios, finely chopped
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional but highly recommended. See note 1)

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Instructions

Boil a pot of water for the pasta. Once boiling, salt heavily, add the Cascatelli, and set a timer for 13 minutes. (Cascatelli takes a long time to cook!)
Slice the garlic and set it aside. Finely chop the pistachios and herbs, combine them in a small bowl, and set them aside as well.
Allow Cascatelli to cook for 6 minutes before starting the sauce. After these 6 minutes, heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for 1-2 minutes, moving constantly so the garlic doesn't burn. Once garlic softens, but before it burns, add the ricotta, a ladleful of pasta water, and pinches of salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Simmer the ricotta sauce until the 13-mintue timer sounds. At this point, transfer Cascatelli to the ricotta sauce using a spider. Add the Parmesan cheese, freshly grated nutmeg, and peas and toss to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. If the ricotta sauce gets too thick and chunky in those 2 minutes, add a little more pasta water to thin it out.
Top with the pistachio and herb mixture and more freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: Freshly grated nutmeg cuts through creamy and cheesy foods so well, while also adding a complex flavor element to the dish. It's bright and slightly spicy, so I add it to mac n/ cheese, this ricotta sauce, and even my lemon ricotta pizza, to make them taste brighter and less "heavy" like many cream or cheese sauces can taste. So though it's optional for this dish, I highly recommend trying it. And freshly grated tastes very different from pre-ground.

Keywords: Cascatelli Recipe, Cascatelli, new pasta, ricotta sauce