For Christmas I got a couple new Jamie Oliver cookbooks. Yes it is July and now I am finally using them. His recipes are always tasty and have fresh ingredients. Since there are normally so few, make sure to buy the best quality to make it that much yummier. This recipe is from The Naked Chef Takes Off, one of his first books. I made the pasta from scratch but I didn’t take pictures of the process because one I start I get on a roll and don’t want to stop! Also, to make the ricotta a little firmer (this recipe calls for fresh, not ricotta salata) I line a colander with a paper-towel and dump in the ricotta. I let it sit in the fridge for about 4 hours before using.
Ingredients:
- 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
- a pinch of dried red pepper
- olive oil
- 2 14oz cans of whole plum tomatoes
- Red wine vinegar, to taste
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 lb fresh tagliatelle pasta
- 9 oz fresh spinach
- 9 oz fresh ricotta
Directions:
Fry the garlic and dried chilli in a little olive oil until softened. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. The tomatoes should remain whole until they have cooked down into a thickish sauce. Break them up with a fork or spoon. Remove from the heat and season carefully to taste with a little red wine vinegar, salt, freshly ground black pepper and some good olive oil.
Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente. At the same time steam the spinach in a colander above the pasta. Drain the tagliatelle and stir into the tomato sauce. Serve with a generous amount of spinach on top and scattered with the ricotta. Finish with a drizzle of peppery extra virgin olive oil.
