Farro Pasta with Arugula & Ricotta

Name: Farro Pasta with Arugula & Ricotta
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: Kosher salt for the pasta pot; 4 ounces tender, small arugula leaves, stems trimmed (about 1 1/2 cups tightly packed); 1 pound farro ziti, spaghetti, or other farro pasta (see Sources, page 387); 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups whole-milk ricotta, preferably fresh; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino (or half pecorino and half Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for a milder flavor), plus more for passing; A large pot, 8-quart capacity, for cooking the pasta; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger

December 9, 2011

This wonderful country-style pasta dish requires almost no cooking, but fresh, flavorful ingredients are essential. Most important is to find fresh whole-milk ricotta (not the processed, packaged variety), often sold in good Italian markets and whole-food stores. If you can find artisan-made sheep’s- or goat’s-milk ricotta, that would be best of all. Another key ingredient is dry pasta made from farro, a kind of wheat berry usually cooked as a whole grain (try my Farro with Roasted Pepper Sauce, page 167). Farro pasta is quite popular in Abruzzo and is manufactured there, in many shapes, by both small artisanal pastifici (pasta factories) and the big pasta companies. Look for it in your market, or order it online (see Sources, page 387); either ziti or spaghetti would be my choice for this dish. It is delicious, nutritious, and moderately priced. You’ll also need tender rucola (arugula), good grated pecorino, and excellent extra-virgin olive oil. Once you have all your ingredients, the preparation is fast and easy.

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