One of the tastiest things I ate this year was still warm ricotta, just off the fire, on a farm in Sicily.
I scooped some of the white, wobbly mass onto my plate, seasoned it with coarse salt, and used a spoon to catch every drop, keeping myself from licking the plate. That ethereal ricotta made an appearance in the next course as a pasta topping. It was mixed with some starchy cooking water to make a brothy, creamy sauce that was spiked with olive oil, seasoned with Parmesan cheese, and topped with a mountain of wild herbs just picked from the garden.
Of course, meals like these cannot be imitated: a sublime holiday moment that can no longer be brought back to everyday life. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make soupy pasta with fresh ricotta and lots of spices, and enjoy it almost as much at home.
One thing I won’t be able to do, however, is using still warm ricotta straight from a farm. But tubs of milky fresh ricotta are available at my local grocery store, and they do the job beautifully.
This is one of those extremely simple recipes with just a few ingredients and not a lot of technique, so it’s worth looking for the good stuff here – it should say “fresh” on the label and will probably be more expensive than standard ricotta. If you cook this with bland ricotta and indifferent olive oil, you probably won’t be very impressed with the result.
But if you use the milkiest, silkiest ricotta you can get and make an olive oil with personality and zing, you’ll have an unforgettable dinner that’s so easy it practically makes itself felt.
Don’t limit yourself to the herbs either; try to use at least three types for the most complex result. Gentle herbs with limp leaves — parsley, basil, coriander, mint, dill, chives, fennel leaves, lovage, even celery leaves — work well and won’t let you chew on twig-like stems. But if you also want to use thyme, rosemary or marjoram, you can do so in small amounts (make sure you pick the leaves from the branches first).
Finally, sprinkle with plenty of coarsely ground black pepper. It’s an invigorating final touch and a spicy contrast to all the sweet, smooth flavors already in your bowl.
Recipe: Creamy Pasta With Ricotta And Herbs