Spinach and Ricotta Lumaconi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10
 
This Spinach and Ricotta Lumaconi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is an instant crowd pleaser and perfect for large dinner parties.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
  • Makes 2¾ cup
  • 1 lb 3.5 ounces (600g) datterini tomatoes, cut lengthwise
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic bulb, ¼ of top cut off
  • 4 red peppers (or 2 super large ones like shown in the photo)
  • ½ teaspoon white vinegar
  • ½ cup (55g), chopped walnuts
For the pasta and filling:
  • 17 ounces (500g) Lumaconi pasta
  • 70 ounces (2 kg) fresh spinach
  • 2 cups (500g) ricotta
  • ½ cup (35g) parmesan cheese + 1 cup (70g) parmesan cheese, freshly grated & divided
  • ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the sauce:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°) and line a 1 or 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. Wrap the garlic bulb in aluminium foil then set it on the baking tray along with the peppers and tomatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle salt on the tomatoes. Roast for 40 minutes then remove the tomatoes and set them aside in a bowl. Continue to roast the red peppers and garlic for another 20 minutes.
  3. Remove the baking try from the oven and immediately transfer the red peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 20 minutes to “sweat”.
  4. Once the peppers are cool to touch remove the skin, stem and seeds and discard. Transfer the peppers to a blender along with their juices. Squeeze out the soften garlic and discard its shell. I used about ¾ of the garlic bulb, adjust to taste. Add the roasted tomatoes, white vinegar and walnuts. Blend until smooth.
For the pasta and filling:
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add 3 pinches of salt followed by one half of the freshly cleaned spinach. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove the first batch with a slotted spoon and transfert to a colander. Shock with cold water, let cool, then squeeze out the excess liquid. Repeat for the second batch, reserving the spinach water.
  2. Add 2 more pinches of salt to the spinach water and more water if necessary. Add the lumaconi pasta and cook until al dente (a.k.a. Slightly hard)
  3. While the pasta is cooking, transfer the cooled spinach to a large bowl and add the ricotta, ½ cup parmesan cheese, red pepper, salt and pepper.
  4. Drain the pasta and return to the pot along with a drizzle of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
  5. Cover the bottom of an extra large casserole dish with a thin layer of roasted red pepper sauce.
  6. Fill each pasta shell with a spoonful of ricotta and spinach filling then place in the casserole dish. Repeat.
  7. Once the pan is full with the filled pasta, cover with the remaining sauce and 1 cup of parmesan cheese.
  8. Bake at 350 (180°) until the pasta is warm, about 10-20 minutes. Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe by Italicana Kitchen at https://italicanakitchen.com/spinach-ricotta-lumaconi-roasted-red-pepper-sauce/