Tagliatelle with Ricotta Sauce and Fried Squash Blossoms: I don’t mean to go on and on about ricotta, but when I was growing up in New York, I had no idea that there was a world of good ricotta out there. But then I moved to California. I attended cheese shows, met cheese-makers, studied cheese, and ate as much cheese as humanly possible. I was opening a mac and cheese restaurant, and it was research! What surprised me the most was how delicious the ricotta I tasted was (and that it isn’t pronounced “ree-goat,” even though my family swears that it is).
This ricotta sauce is my dad’s super-secret recipe, so don’t tell him I shared it, or he may disown me. It works quite well with the watery ricotta, too, so if that’s all you can find, then go for it.
Recipe by: Paul
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese 2 fresh large eggs
- 1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound egg tagliatelle
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
- Pasta Shapes: Fettuccine, Spaghetti, Linguine
Ingredients for Fried Squash Blossoms
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer, or 12 ounces club soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Grapeseed oil, for frying
- 1 dozen squash blossoms, stamens removed
How to Make Tagliatelle with Ricotta Sauce and Fried Squash Blossoms
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, garlic, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black Whisk until it looks silky and cohesive.
- Fill a 6-quart pot with Bring it to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta and stir. Cook until al dente (egg pasta gets mushy fast, so taste it frequently). Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water, and pour the pasta back into the pot.
- Pour the ricotta sauce and half of the reserved water over the pasta and quickly toss with The cheese will begin to melt and form a rich sauce as it mixes with the eggs. Add more water if needed (this will depend on the consistency of your ricotta). Add the tomatoes, stir, and taste for salt, adding more if needed.
- Serve immediately, with fried squash blossoms scattered on
Fried Squash Blossoms
- To make the fried squash blossoms, gently whisk the flour, beer or club soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Heat about 2 inches of grapeseed oil in a saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot (around 365°F), dip the blossoms into the batter and then directly into the oil. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
