After the meaty meals of the past few evenings, I’m ready to eat meatless tonight.  I’m in the mood for whole wheat spaghetti with ricotta. 

This is a simple, luxurious dish that also packs a nice little protein punch if you’re not in the mood for a second course.  The pasta is dressed with a little extra-virgin olive oil, then topped with a dollop of fresh ricotta, and some black pepper. 

I don’t say this often, but in this dish, there’s no need for any grated cheese, as it obscures the subtle lactic delicacy of the ricotta.  Make sure you serve the pasta piping hot so that the ricotta melts into it as you mix it together on the plate.

Of course you could use regular white spaghetti instead of whole wheat, but I’ve found that whole wheat works nicely in this dish because of its nutty flavor.  

Pasta with ricotta and a nice salad–it doesn’t get any simpler or better!

Pasta with Ricotta 

serves 1

1/4 lb whole wheat spaghetti

1/4 c fresh ricotta

1 tbl + 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

boil the pasta and place in heated bowl.  Immediately top with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss briefly.  Top with ricotta, the teaspoon of olive oil and black pepper.