Orecchiette con Ricotta Forte

Name: Orecchiette con Ricotta Forte
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 400 g fresh orecchiette; 700 g tomato passata; 45 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 2 cloves Garlic; 60 g ricotta forte; 8 leaves Fresh basil; 5 g Fine sea salt

Fresh orecchiette tossed in a slow-simmered Salento tomato passata, enriched with pungent, fermented ricotta forte for a sharp, savoury punch.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 510 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

400 g fresh orecchiette — traditional durum semolina pasta
700 g tomato passata — smooth puréed sieved tomatoes
45 ml Extra virgin olive oil — Pugliese olive oil preferred
2 cloves Garlic — peeled and gently crushed
60 g ricotta forte — fermented creamy ricotta cheese, at room temperature
8 leaves Fresh basil — torn
5 g Fine sea salt — adjust to taste

Equipment

•Large saucepan
•Large pot for boiling pasta
•Wooden spoon
•Colander
•Small mixing bowl

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 510 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 74 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 18 g
calories: 510 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat.
2
Add the crushed garlic cloves and fry gently until pale golden and fragrant.
3
Pour in the tomato passata, season with a pinch of salt, and stir well.
4
Lower the heat and simmer the sauce gently for twenty-five minutes until thickened.
5
Remove the garlic cloves and stir in the fresh torn basil leaves.
6
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
7
Drop the orecchiette into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
8
Ladle two tablespoons of warm sauce into a small bowl with the ricotta forte and stir until smooth.
9
Drain the pasta and immediately tip it into the saucepan with the tomato sauce.
10
Stir in the loosened ricotta forte over low heat until the sauce turns creamy orange and evenly coats the pasta.

Chef's tips

Ricotta forte is intensely pungent and salty, so start with a modest spoonful and adjust to your taste. Always loosen the fermented cheese in a small bowl with warm tomato sauce before tossing with pasta to ensure an even coating.

Ingredient substitutions

ricotta forte → equal parts aged pecorino and mature sharp goat cheese, though lacking the fermented pungency
fresh orecchiette → dried durum wheat orecchiette, boiling for ten to twelve minutes

Storage

Store leftover pasta in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a frying pan over low heat with two tablespoons of water until piping hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Dumping cold ricotta forte straight onto the pasta, which causes it to clump rather than melt evenly into the sauce.
•Adding too much salt to the tomato sauce before tasting, forgetting how salty the ricotta forte is.