Cavatappi with Spinach and Ricotta

Had some pizza today and I passed on my usual white slice - I can never resist a buffalo chicken slice (yes, it is exactly what you think - buffalo chicken and blue cheese dressing on a pizza). So, I was thinking about ricotta today and decided to cook some more pasta. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 box De Cecco Cavatappi
1 bunch fresh Spinach (cleansed and cut into 4)
8 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
3 anchovy fillets
Organic Whole Milk Ricotta
1/3 cup Pine Nuts
Red Pepper Flakes
Parmigiano reggiano
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper

(serves 6)

1) Fill a large pot with water, handful of salt, and set to high heat. When the water rapidly boils, drop the pasta and set the timer to 5 minutes.

2) Place a wok on medium heat - I like using woks for cooking vegetables, since it gives you more room. Place pine nuts in the wok for about a minute. The pine nuts will slightly brown and the room will fill with the smell of pine nuts.

3) Add anchovy fillets and olive oil. Cook until disintegrated - you will need to stir it and make sure nothing burns. Add garlic for about 30 seconds to a minute (make sure to not brown the garlic).

4) Add spinach, salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted. Be careful not to add too much salt, since the anchovies add plenty of salt. If the spinach is done before the pasta, remove the wok from the heat.

5) Taste pasta and remove from the water when it is almost al dente about 7 minutes. Add water to pasta bowls to warm. Drain pasta, reserving about a 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add pasta to the wok and cook over high heat for about 30 seconds to a minute.

6) If the pasta is dry, add some of the pasta water to loosen. Taste and adjust seasoning. If pasta is too hard, cook the pasta some more.

7) Empty the pasta bowls, cut the heat, and grate Parmigiano reggiano over dish. Add a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta to the dish. Serve pasta in the bowls. Top with red pepper flakes, olive oil, and more parmigiano.

This dish is very fun to eat - chewy pasta, creamy ricotta, and salty sauce from anchovies makes for great textures and flavors - trust me, anchovies are a must here and you won't be able to tell the anchovies are in the dish. Buono appetito!

Btw - The De Cecco pasta yields perfectly chewy pasta - I think it's well worth the extra price. Barilla is an OK substitute though.