30 days, 30 dinners - Meal #11 Ricotta Pasta

Wow! Is this a pasta week or what? I guess that is what happens when life gets the best of our time.

Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli and Pine Nuts

Pasta
Cook shell or tubular pasta with salt water (I know I always mention the salt in cooking pasta, but it is really important. Pasta doesn't have flavor otherwise, so cooking the pasta in "ocean water" gives it that extra snap it needs).
Once it is cooked, reserve a few ladles of the the pasta water.
Drain pasta and spoon 1/4 cup of ricotta onto it.
Ladle the pasta water onto it until there is a creamy thickness to it.

Broccoli (and cherry toms)
Saute broccoli in a slightly greased pan - by not using a lot of oil, the broccoli will roast and take on an almost nutty flavor. This takes about 5 minutes.
Toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes for the final minute.

Toast pine nuts in a small saute pan - be careful, they burn easily. We keep our pine nuts (and any other nuts) in the freezer to preserve their freshness.

Toss everything together and top with grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes.