SIMPLICITY IS THE SIGNATURE of this quickly assembled pasta, which features roasted green beans in the starring role.
SERVES 4 TO 6
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, slivered
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 pound bowtie pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces (about 1 cup) ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil two rimmed baking sheets.
- Combine the green beans, garlic, shallots, and oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat well. Arrange in a single layer on the sheets.
- Place the baking sheets side by side in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the beans are well browned, stirring or shaking the sheets occasionally for even cooking. (If the baking sheets do not fit side by side, place one on the middle rack and the other on the lower rack and rotate them occasionally during the roasting process.) Sprinkle lightly with the coarse salt.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
- Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl, add the butter, and toss. Add the ricotta and Parmesan and toss again. Add the green beans and season with salt to taste and plenty of pepper. Toss to mix well and serve at once.
Bowties with Roasted Asparagus and Ricotta:
- Replace the green beans with 1 pound asparagus. Trim the asparagus and proceed with the recipe as above.
