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This pasta comes together fairly quick and can be perfect for any day of the week. You end up with a creamy tomato sauce that goes perfectly with the prosciutto. What I like about this dish is the prosciutto isn’t cooked until crispy, so you still have a bit of “chew” to it and all the flavour that comes with it. You can of course cook the prosciutto until crispy but if you haven’t tried it this way, give it a shot.
PASTA WITH PASSATA, RICOTTA AND PROSCIUTTO
Recipe by Mark Calaminici | Food Loves Company
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g Prosciutto di Parma, cut into small strips
3 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or finely chopped
Chili flakes, to taste
680ml Passata, strained tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Fresh basil, to taste, torn
500g Rigatoni or any pasta you prefer
Method
1. In a large dry pan on medium heat, cook the prosciutto about half way and remove to a plate. Set aside.
2. Add 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and onions. Saute until onions are soft. Add garlic and chili flakes and sauté until garlic is tender.
3. Add the passata and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced a little bit. Add basil and bring heat to low. In a bowl, add Ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano and set aside.
4. Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of boiling salted water just before al dente, as we will finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Reserve pasta water.
5. As the pasta cooks add a small ladle of pasta water to the ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Mix until smooth and creamy.
6. Add Ricotta mixture to sauce. Mix to incorporate. When pasta is ready, add to the pan with a ladle of pasta water. Continue to cook the pasta in the pan, stirring and tossing, adding more pasta water if needed. Add the prosciutto back to the sauce and mix and toss. Turn off the heat or remove the pan from the heat and add some Parmigiano-Reggiano, mixing and tossing to incorporate into the pasta. Enjoy!
Until next time, Ciao!