Orecchiette with Peas, Pine Nuts, and Ricotta

Ingredients

• Whole wheat pasta

  Dry

  8 oz or 227g

• Ricotta cheese

  Part skim milk

  4 oz or 113g

• Spearmint

  Fresh

  4 tbsp or 23g

• Lemon zest

  1 tsp or 2g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 15g

• Crushed red pepper flakes

  ¼ tsp or 0.08g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  4 tbsp or 54g

• Shallots

  Raw

  3 shallot (medium) or 128g

• Peas

  Green, frozen, unprepared

  1 cup or 134g

• Pine nuts

  Nuts, dried

  4 tbsp or 34g

Directions

1. Cook orecchiette in well-salted water until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. In a bowl, combine ricotta, half of the mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sliced shallots, salt, and pepper, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peas, and set aside.
4. Stir the shallot mixture and reserved cooking water into the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Transfer to a serving platter and dollop with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with pine nuts and the remaining mint, then serve.