Radicchio & Ricotta Pasta

Whenever you feel like having pasta for lunch or dinner, this creamy vegetarian option – with ricotta, cream, radicchio and parmesan cheese – is sure to satisfy! I’ve tweaked this version a bit from the original recipe from Clean Eating Magazine (October 2017 print issue).

Start by prepping and measuring all the ingredients, so everything is ready to go. Make the sauce while the pasta cooks, and then everything comes together quickly after that!

Radicchio & Ricotta Pasta

6 servings

350 g whole wheat or gluten-free pasta (linguine, spaghetti, or spaghettini)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de provence
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 1/4 cup (300g) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (+ more for serving)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups sliced radicchio
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, unsalted and toasted
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Instructions:

In a large pot, cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, following cooking time on pasta package. Reserve 1 1/4 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta, return to pot and cover to keep warm.
For the sauce, heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add herbes de provence and black pepper and cook for another minute.
Turn off heat and add 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir in ricotta, Parmesan, cream, lemon juice, and salt until combined.
Add radicchio and sauce to cooked pasta, followed by walnuts and parsley. Stir until sauce thickens and pasta is covered. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more of pasta water.
Serve with more Parmesan and fresh parsley to taste. Buon Appetito!

NOTE: If you don’t like radicchio, use sauté broccolini or baby spinach.