2tablespoonsfreshly grated pecorino romano cheese(14g)
2tablespoonsbuttersoftened to room temperature (28g)
¼cupricotta cheese(57g)
Instructions
For the pasta:
Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. The water should be as salty as sea water. I use about 2 tablespoons.
Drain pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid to thin the Ricotta Pesto as needed.
Toss drained pasta with 1 tablespoon butter.
For the Ricotta Pesto:
To make in the food processor:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, pine nuts, minced garlic, optional lemon juice, and salt to taste. Process until creamy.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in the two cheeses, butter, and ricotta.
To make with mortar and pestle:
Combine basil, pine nuts, minced garlic, and salt to taste (coarse is better in the mortar). Using the pestle with a rotary, grinding motion, grind the ingredients into a paste against the sides of the mortar.
Add both cheeses and the optional lemon and using the pestle grind into the paste.
Pour in olive oil in a thin stream and beat until incorporated with a wooden spoon.
Stir in butter and ricotta.
Combine pasta and sauce:
Toss the Ricotta Pesto with the hot, buttered pasta, adding reserved pasta water as necessary to make a sauce that clings to the pasta. I stir about ½ cup of the reserved water into the pesto before adding to the pasta. Salt as needed to taste.