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