Dean Martin singing Mambo Italiano

Our Friday night hangout: Louisa’s Restaurant on 90th and Fort Hamilton Parkway in Brooklyn. Yum! Baked Stuffed Clams, Pasta, Salad, Garlic Bread, Bisque Tortini, Hoffman’s cream soda, and Dean on the jukebox. For years I thought you had to drink cream soda with Italian food because that’s what we always had a Louisa’s.  We always had a handsome waiter too. He was consistently tan – even during the darkest, coldest, longest winter –  a la George Hamilton. My mom swore he sat in front of a sunlamp all the time.  Well, Hoffman Soda and Louisa’s Restaurant are long gone, but fine Italian food is as close as your pots and pans.

Pasta with Ricotta is a cold-weather dish, especially great if you need to get dinner on the table quickly.  This dish is not low fat, but it’s tasty, filling, and budget wise.  I’d pair it with a salad.  If you feel the need for dessert, a nice ripe pear would be perfect. In other words, offset the fat with high-fiber, low fat, low calorie food.  Needless to say, portion control helps too.  Close with an espresso.

As with all recipes on this site, this is wheat-and-gluten free for those with Celiac Disease or wheat-and-gluten sensivity.

Gluten-free Pasta with Ricotta, Pasta con ricotta

The recipe

Serves four with salad

• 1 package brown rice pasta (do not use corn or quinoa pasta for this recipe)
• 1 pound fesh ricotta, full-fat preferred – but do what you have to do
• 1 stick of fresh, salted butter or substitute Earth Balance
• sea salt and cracked, black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced fine

Boil the pasta in salted water until done al denté.  While the pasta is boiling, place the butter in a bowl large enough to accommodate all ingredients.  Take one cup of the boiling water and pour it over the butter, melting it and mixing it with the water.  Add the ricotta and continue to mix well.  

Set aside another cup of water when the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with the butter and ricotta. It should make a creamy, but not runny, sauce.  If it seems dry, add a bit of the reserved water  Salt and papper to taste.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve.  It’s that easy.  And it’s very good.

Dinner and a movie?  How about Divorce Italian Style?