by Jennifer
This dinner was yummy, even though the yellow plate doesn’t do it justice eye appeal-wise. Get the salad started first as it can sit for a bit (and gets better with the sitting). For parents of young kids, two of my three (the third is pretty selective, but he did eat some) had huge helpings of the pasta and loved it. Serves 4 adults.
Orecchiette with Creamy Herb Ricotta Sauce
- 1 lb orecchiette
- 3/4 cup fresh whole milk ricotta
- 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs – I used about half chives, and half a mix of oregano, sage and thyme
- 1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup cooking water.
In a large bowl combine ricotta through black pepper.
Stir in pasta and reserved cooking water, mixing well, then serve hot.
Grilled Zucchini Pepper Salad – from Gourmet magazine
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lbs zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4”-thick slices
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into four pieces each
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp packed light brown sugar
- 2 TBS chopped basil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Prepare grill for medium to medium-high cooking. Toss zucchini and peppers with 2 TBS oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Grill vegetables 3 – 4 minutes per side, until just tender and grill marks appear. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Peel peppers and cut into 1” pieces; slice zucchini into 1” pieces as well.
In a medium bowl whisk together remaining 2 TBS oil, vinegar, brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Add vegetables and basil, mixing well to coat, and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.