Paccheri with Roasted Tomatoes and Ricotta
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3
 
If you have never tried roasting tomatoes, you are in for a delicious surprise. Here’s one recipe you won’t want to miss.
Ingredients
For the tomatoes and sauce:
  • 1 pound (450g)Datterini tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • .5 ounce (19g) Arugula
  • 10 Basil leaves
  • 1 cup (8.9 ounces, 250g) ricotta
  • Chives (optional)
For the pasta:
  • 12 Paccheri pasta
  • ½ tablespoon course salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Arrange the tomatoes in one layer on top of the baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes are have shrunk, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn. When you take the tomatoes out, keep the oven on.
  3. In the meantime, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the course salt. Cook the paccheri pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain the pasta, let cool.
  4. In a blender purée the roasted tomatoes, arugula and basil leaves. Scoop out 4-5 spoonfuls and spread on the bottom of a casserole dish. Set aside.
  5. In a medium bowl, add the ricotta then pour in the rest of the tomato sauce and stir until combined.
  6. Using a pastry bag or small spoon, fill each tube of pasta with the ricotta mixture and set the pasta tubes upright in the casserole dish. If you want, tie the tubes in groups with a chive stem and top with chopped chives.
  7. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10-12 minutes or until the filling is warm and the top is slightly golden. Serve warm. Buon appetito!
  8. A few helpful hints:
  9. Roast tomatoes ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator (up to 4-5 days) or freezer (up to 6 months) to whip out when you need them. If you have the roasted tomatoes on hand, this pasta recipe goes from 60 minutes to around 25 minutes.
  10. Be sure to fill the pasta tubes completely full as the sauce sinks when baking.
  11. If you have some ricotta filling left over, spread it on a piece of toasted bread for a quick bruschetta.
  12. If you want to elegantly plate the pasta like in my photos, reserve a few extra spoonfuls of sauce and heat it on the stovetop in a small saucepan. The sauce baked in the oven will have a different consistency and dries out a bit more.
Recipe by Italicana Kitchen at https://italicanakitchen.com/paccheri-with-roasted-tomatoes-and-ricotta/