Perfect for entertaining yet simple enough for everyday, this hearty whole wheat pasta topped with a flavorful, no-cook sauce of ripe plum tomatoes, fragrant basil, fresh ricotta and salty prosciutto di parma makes an ideal summer dish. Complete this easy yet elegant meal with a mixed greens salad and a fresh berry granita.
• 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) oil-cured olives, pitted, rough chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound Gillian’s penne pasta
• 14 ounces (approximately 1 pint) fresh/hand-dipped ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces (approximately 8 thinly-sliced slices) prosciutto di parma, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 ounce (1 cup firmly packed) fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• 1 ounce (1/3 cup) grated pecorino romano cheese
Place the tomatoes, olives, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large non-reactive bowl and mix well. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 and up to 6 hours. The salt will begin to draw out the juices from the tomato to form a sauce.
Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until a l dente. Drain the pasta. (rinse the pasta.)
Mix the ricotta, prosciutto and basil into the fresh tomato mixture. Add the hot cooked pasta to the tomato ricotta mixture and mix well to ensure that the pasta is fully coated in the sauce. Top with the pecorino romano cheese and serve immediately.