Pasta With Tomatoes, Greens and Ricotta
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½cup chopped red or yellow onion
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- ½teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 serrano pepper, minced (seeded if desired)
- 1pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1teaspoon thyme leaves
- Salt
- Pinch of sugar
- ½pound (about 5 cups, tightly packed) stemmed and coarsely chopped broccoli leaves, Chinese broccoli leaves or collards
- Black pepper
- ¾pound farfalle or other pasta
- ½cup ricotta
- 2tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
475 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 77 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 739 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Step 2
Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes or serrano. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add tomatoes and thyme. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar. Cook tomatoes over medium heat, stirring often, until they have cooked down to a fragrant purée, about 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Add chopped broccoli leaves or collards, which should still have some water on them from washing. Add salt to taste. Stir greens and tomatoes until greens have collapsed, then turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes. Add pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, when pasta water comes to a boil, salt generously and add pasta. Cook until al dente, usually 10 to 11 minutes. Have ricotta in a small bowl near pasta pot.
- Step 5
Stir ¼ cup pasta water into ricotta and stir mixture into vegetables. Reserve about ¼ cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss with vegetable and ricotta mixture; add reserved water if desired. Add parsley, toss again and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
jeanne
I made this today and it's delicious. I used broccoli rabe cause it has a bitter flavor that blends nicely with the sweet ricotta cheese. I also used a can of fire roasted tomatoes which provided a nice bit of heat thanks to the jalapeno in them. Sometimes you have to improvise a bit if you can't find everything in the market.
Lee
I've made a pasta with rapini (broccoli rabe) for years. This is similar. I make the tomato part and then add chopped raw rapini during the last few minutes of the pasta cooking. Mix drained pasta with tomato mixture.
Wordsworth from Wadsworth
Just get a bag of collards or kale from Trader Joe's, chop it up, and throw it in. A ragout is supposed to be peasant food anyway.
Given this has the greens and tomatoes, I hypothesize this could use a salty cheese at the table, like Pecorino romano.
laurie
The only green I had was kale - I cooked it longer and the only herb was some pesto ( I added about 1 1/2 tsp). Tomato was a large fresh one I dropped in the pasta water and pealed and chopped. It was a delicious pasta dish - had a nice acid kick. I will make it again. A very different past dish from my kitchen
Jon
Quadrupled recipe since I had 2 cups of ricotta, but only cooked 2 lbs farfalle instead of 3, seems like a good ratio for me. Halved the red pepper flakes but wish I put them all in. I used broccoli rabe leaves and kale, the broccoli rabe stems are roasting now as a side.
David Hamilton
I loved it. Next time I will use a little less red pepper flake.
JJ
try broccoli rabe?
laurie
The only green I had was kale - I cooked it longer and the only herb was some pesto ( I added about 1 1/2 tsp). Tomato was a large fresh one I dropped in the pasta water and pealed and chopped. It was a delicious pasta dish - had a nice acid kick. I will make it again. A very different past dish from my kitchen
Marrissa
I made this for last night’s dinner with a few substitutions based on what I had in my fridge. I used a Serrano chili, Swiss chard and queso fresco, a Mexican cheese very similar to ricotta and tagliatelle pasta. It was delicious and went excellent with a bottle of Sangiovese. My husband and I loved it and I will definitely revisit this recipe!
Lee
Delicious. Used collard greens as there was no broccoli rabe at the store. Peeled tomatoes by boiling them and plunging into ice water. Used seeds without problem. Next time double sauce and carefully mix with pasta. (Current ratio is too much pasta).
Flufflhead
Followed the recipe except I didn’t have quite enough collards so I added a 1 cup mix of kale and chard from the garden to make the full 5 cups of greens and loved it. A little bit too spicy for the 5 yr old, but she ate it! So I think I’ll keep it the same next time.
Jez
I liked this recipe. I added some sun-dried tomatoes to my bowl (my husband doesn't like them) and thought it was a good compliment to an already delicious dish.
Sally
My over-wintered kale is bolting, so I picked all the tender, sweet budding heads to use in this - it was delicious, especially served it with grated mizithra cheese to add at the table.
jeanne
I made this today and it's delicious. I used broccoli rabe cause it has a bitter flavor that blends nicely with the sweet ricotta cheese. I also used a can of fire roasted tomatoes which provided a nice bit of heat thanks to the jalapeno in them. Sometimes you have to improvise a bit if you can't find everything in the market.
Lynn in Austin
I wish Martha Rose would shop in an ordinary suburban grocery store. The HEB doesn't sell broccoli leaves or nigella seeds or exotic flours - some of the ingredients she has included in recent recipes. I would like to make her food as directed but usually have to substitute more mundane ingredients.
Carol in Brooklyn
She does say you can use collards - and I'm sure you can also sub in some swiss chard or kale - and maybe even some broccoli or similar. I'd think a combination would be nice. Most unusual ingredients can be replaced with something else - or - ordered if you really want to try them. (or - there might be an Indian market or health food store in your area that you've not been to - they might have some of the more unusual things Martha uses.
Jen C
She also suggest collards, which are universally available, and it's easy to sub leafy greens in most recipes anyway.
Wordsworth from Wadsworth
Just get a bag of collards or kale from Trader Joe's, chop it up, and throw it in. A ragout is supposed to be peasant food anyway.
Given this has the greens and tomatoes, I hypothesize this could use a salty cheese at the table, like Pecorino romano.
stuart itter
Not clear. Are broccoli leaves broccoli rabe-would have used that anyway. And, what ricotta should be used-so much utterly bland, mushy stuff sold in supermarkets?
Jen C
Broccoli leaves are from actual broccoli. Most of the supermarket broccoli has been trimmed, but our gram market CSA broccoli often comes with leaves still attached. They're sweeter than rabe.
Christa
I've seen broccoli leaves at my local Whole Foods in the Chicago suburbs, but it's been a while. I snatch them up every time I see them--they're a wonderfully interesting and healthy change from other greens at Whole Foods with which I typically cook. I love broccoli rabe, but broccoli greens aren't as bitter and as assertive as broccoli rabe, although they are a sturdy green.
Lee
I've made a pasta with rapini (broccoli rabe) for years. This is similar. I make the tomato part and then add chopped raw rapini during the last few minutes of the pasta cooking. Mix drained pasta with tomato mixture.
PJ
My broccoli has few leaves. Should the ingredient be broccoli rabe?
Christa
No, you actually want to use broccoli leaves. I've seen them sold in bunches at my local Whole Foods in the Chicago suburbs, but not often and not for a while.
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