Ricotta & Pea Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 package of pasta of your choice (I like orecchiette with this)

• 12 oz. of fresh ricotta cheese

• 1 cup of fresh peas

• 1/4 tsp of chili flakes

• 1 tsp of olive oil

• 1 tsp of fresh mint; finely minced (and a bit more for topping, if you want!)

• 1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese

• Salt & pepper to taste

First make the pea and ricotta sauce by bringing some salted water to boil. Once boiling, add your peas and cook for about 3 minutes, or until they start to float to the top of the water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked peas to some ice water to stop the cooking and stop them from getting mushy. Using the slotted spoon, again, transfer the peas from the ice water to a plate lined with a paper towel. Pat the peas dry.

In a food processor, or strong blender, add in your peas, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Blend until the peas break up a little bit. Add in your ricotta cheese and blend well. Lastly, add your mint and blend again.

You want your pea and ricotta mixture to be as smooth as possible and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Once this is done, place in a container and refridgerate. You can definitely make the pea and ricotta mixture ahead of time and this also makes a delicious dip on its own.

Cook your pasta according to the packaging and set aside a cup of pasta water before draining.

Once your pasta is drained, add it back into the pot and toss it with your pea and ricotta sauce. Add in your fresh parmesan cheese and mix well Adjust any seasonings to your liking (aka more salt, pepper, red pepper flakes or mint) and serve warm!