Served with timeless music
I understand when the summer heat clogs you for days and the desire to cook is very limited. But only because it is so hot, no pasta? No way! Pasta is ALWAYS an option! Mixed with a cheesy cream it is a delicious warm salad.
I like to whittle small ingredients even smaller. The right soundtrack in my kitchen makes me forget the sultry summer heat.
Occasionally, the nineties call to remind me at certain dishes and specific music. Back then, I often made this dish and then I forgot about it. When I remembered this recipe whilst thinking about simple, but heatwave aproved cooking, I also wanted to listen to something from that time: Diamonds And Pearls, the 13th studio album of Prince and his then new group of background and studio musicians, The New Power Generation. It was released in the fall of 1991. What I like most about it, is how R & B, Pop, Funk and more different styles are combined to become something new of its own. "Cream" fits this dish like no other hit. Sadly, it was Prince's last # 1 hit on the Billboard Charts. He should have had more!
For the summery pasta with creamy, cool cheese mixture we need:
(Serves 4)
400 g of pappardelle or fettucini
350 g ripe small tomatoes (cocktail or cherry tomatoes)
200 g Ricotta
80 to a maximum of 100 g of freshly grated Parmesan
1 or 2 garlic cloves to taste
80 g olives, black or green or mixed, pitted - just take 20 and you will be fine
fresh herbs - basil is perfect; but sometimes I have parsley and dill in the summer, which also tastes wonderful. No matter which herbs: 6 stems are a good amount
Salt, pepper
How to do it:
Cut the tomatoes and olives into small pieces. Pluck the leaves or fringes from the herbs and roughly rip them apart. You might want to chop them, but it is not necessary. After all, it is hot and we save every kind of physical energy.
Put Ricotta in a large bowl and stir with a fork. Add tomatoes, olives, Parmesan cheese and herbs. Grate garlic with a micro grater and mix everything. No micro grater? No problem, just chop the garlic.
Season the mixture with pepper. I do not use any salt, because the Parmesan already provides the necessary amount and some of the strong salted pasta water also ends up in the creame.
Cook the pasta in salted water and add directly from the cooking water to the ricotta cream. Mix well and add some of the cooking water. Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper - the perfect, not to hot pasta for hot days.
Enjoy - or, in other words: Cream! Sh-boogie bop ...!
