Roasted Tomato & Fennel Sauce with Ricotta

Serves 2

This is a sauce and ricotta to go with a stuffed pasta or regular pasta. It is chunky, not a smooth sauce - more like brushetta in texture, but very tasty!

Tomato Sauce

3 roma tomatoes, seeded & diced

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 fennel, small diced (just the bulb part, not the hairy bits)

1 shallot, small diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp ground fennel

1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes

• Preheat oven to 400. 

• Peel and seed tomatoes (peeling isn't essential), chop into small pieces. Place in a strainer and add salt, mix. Let sit for at least 10 minutes and let drain.

• Place fennel and, tomato on a tray and mix with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Roast for at least 10 minutes, maybe another 10 would be needed - fennel needs to start turning colour and tomato releases juices.

• In a medium pot, sweat the shallot and garlic until soft, add in ground fennel and chili flakes.

• Once tomatoes and fennel are roasted, add to pot with shallots, garlic and spices. 

• Bring to a boil, adjust season and remove from heat.

Ricotta - this is ricotta made from scratch but can use store bought as well

1.5 cups whole milk

1/2 cup whipping cream (35%)

1/4 tsp salt

2.5 tsp (maybe more) white vinegar

1/2 lemon, zested

1 sprig basil, cut into chiffonade

• bring milk, cream and salt to a simmer then take off heat and slowly add vinegar. Wait 15 minutes and see if looking like it's gone off - it separates. 

• Line a strainer with cheese cloth and pour in mixture. Cover and let drain for 45 minutes to 2 hours.

• keep the curd (the solid part) and discard the weigh (liquid).

• Add lemon and basil, mix.

• Serve with tomato mixture and pasta