This pasta dish – which reminds me of Caprese Pasta, but is just a little more salty and spicy and grown-up tasting – is both awesome and awesomely summery. It’s one of those dishes that takes thirty seconds and can probably be assembled from stuff you already have in your refrigerator (especially if you happen to be Italian and keep things like dry ricotta hanging around, in which case you probably don’t need my advice on excellent pasta combinations), and that makes the perfect addition to a day at the beach, or a picnic, or a backyard BBQ.
Or the middle of the afternoon for no reason whatsoever, because it’s just that good.
P.S. I take zero credit for this dish: Francesca’s mother made it as part of our dinner last weekend; yet another example of Why I Love Visiting Francesca’s Family.
What You Need (Serves 4-6):
1 box dried pasta of choice, prepared according to package directions
1 cup dry ricotta, cut into cubes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup olives, sliced
Large handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Red pepper flakes
What You Do:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.
