This recipe is inspired by a pasta we had at Bobby Flay’s restaurant, Amalfi, in Las Vegas. It was so delicious and totally made up for the fact that we lost a lot of money playing roulette (I wish). They use fresh pasta at the restaurant and fill it with the ricotta-arugula mixture but I added it at the end to make it a weeknight-friendly meal. 

Let me know what you think! 

Ingredients 

• 1 pound of pasta of choice, I use Mezzi Rigatoni 
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• Sungold tomatoes, 2 10-ounce containers (see note), halved
• Calabrian chili paste or red pepper flakes to taste (I use about a tablespoon of Calabrian chili paste)
• 2 tablespoons of butter, cold from the fridge 
• A couple of tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned 
• 1/4 cup of whole-milk ricotta (you can use more if you like!)
• About a cup of baby arugula 
• Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated (measure with your heart)
• EVOO
• Kosher salt 

Directions

1. Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add in the noodles. Cook until al dente and if the noodles are done before the sauce is ready, drain and reserve about two cups of pasta water (you won’t need it all but just in case). 
2. In a food processor, add the ricotta and baby arugula and puree until it’s nice and combined. Set it aside until later. 
3. In a large skillet, add a good amount of Olive oil. I like to coat the bottom with it. Add the shallots and garlic and turn on the heat to low. Cook until they start to get jammy, around 10 to 15 minutes. Now add in the tomatoes, and a good pinch of salt. Cook until the tomatoes break down, using the pack of a wooden spoon to help the tomatoes release their juices. This took around 10 minutes for me over medium-low heat. 
4. Once cooled slightly, add the tomato mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sauce back into the skillet, along with the Calabrian chili paste, if using, and butter. Stir to combine. Now add in the al dente pasta and cook together for a few minutes, until the pasta is done, using as much pasta water as needed to create a sauce. Stir in the fresh basil and give it a good mix. Taste and adjust for salt or spice. 
5. Off the heat, dollop the arugula-ricotta mixture on top. And then right before serving, stir together. Finish with as much Parmigiano Reggiano as your heart desires. 

Notes:

• TOMATOES: Depending on the time of year, you may not have access to sungold tomatoes. If you can’t find them, just use whatever mixture of small tomatoes you can find. I can usually find a continuer that has a mixture of gold, yellow, and red cherry tomatoes.