Ingredients
Kosher Salt- 12 oz Rigatoni
- 8.5 oz Sun-dried tomatoes, julienned oil-packed jar; 3 tbsp oil reserved, drained
4 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes crushed
28 oz Tomatoes canned; crushed- ¾ tsp Sugar granulated
- 15 oz Ricotta whole milk (1 container)
- ½ tsp Lemon zest finely grated
2 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
5 oz Baby spinach one 5-ounce package
Parmesan cheese grated, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until 2 to 3 minutes short of the package time; it will finish in the sauce. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, warm the reserved 3 tablespoons tomato oil in a high-sided skillet. Add the drained sun-dried tomatoes, sliced garlic, and pepper flakes. Stir until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden, about 3 minutes, reducing the heat if it begins to darken. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Blend the ricotta, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender. With the motor running, drizzle in the separate 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta and 1 cup reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce. Stir in the 5 ounces spinach and cook until the pasta is tender and the spinach has wilted. Add more reserved water a little at a time if needed for a coating sauce. Taste and adjust salt.
- Spoon some whipped ricotta into four bowls. Add the hot pasta, then dollop with the remaining ricotta and finish with grated Parmesan.
Notes
The tomato oil and olive oil have different jobs: reserve 3 tablespoons from the tomato jar for the sauce and use 2 tablespoons olive oil for whipping the ricotta. The pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Use 5 ounces baby spinach, not 15 ounces. The 30-minute total is the source estimate with overlapping preparation.
