Cavatelli with Tomato and Marzotica Ricotta
- 1 lb cavatelli
- 1 lb tomatoes
- 3 oz Marzotica Ricotta
- 2 ½ tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 oz carrot
- 2 oz onion
- 2 oz celery
- 4 leaves of basil
- salt and pepper
Wash and cut the tomatoes into pieces. Place in a pot with the vegetables and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables, and pass the tomatoes through a food mill and then a fine sieve. Put the tomato puree in a pot. Add oil, salt, a sprig of rosemary and let cook, stirring occasionally. You will end up with a tomato mousse. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and then the pasta. Cook until al dente then strain and transfer pasta to the pot with the tomato mousse. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Add two-thirds of the grated ricotta. Stir and then serve in individual bowls or plates. Place a basil leaf on the edge of each plate and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (Note: Marzotica Ricotta is an aged sheep’s milk ricotta, made from the heat-induced coagulation of the whey left over from making Canestrato Pugliese DOP and additional sheep’s milk. The name of the cheese comes from the season in which it is produced (March-April, or marzo-aprile in Italian). This is the time when the most milk is available and the shepherds begin aging part of their daily production of ricotta.)