Pasta al Forno
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Pesto:
3 cups spinach leaves
2 cups basil leaves
1 cup walnuts or whole blanched almonds
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Pasta:
Kosher salt
1 pound large pasta shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 pounds heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered
Directions
- For the pesto: Put the spinach, basil, nuts, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in some salt and pepper.
- For the pasta: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shells and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside, making sure to reserve a cup or so of pasta-cooking liquid.
- While the pasta cooks, mix the ricotta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and some salt and pepper in another small bowl.
- When the pasta is ready, put it in a large bowl and mix in the pesto, tomatoes, and enough reserved cooking liquid to make a sauce. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, dollop with the seasoned ricotta and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
