Penne, Peas, and Ricotta

I roasted some peppers early in the day to use in several recipes; otherwise you may use roasted peppers in a jar, which I rely on all the time.

Ingredients

• 4 oz whole wheat penne or your favorite pasta
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta, divided
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed and divided
• 1 generous tablespoon roasted garlic (I freeze mine in mini muffin pans to keep handy in the freezer)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1-1 1/2 roasted red pepper, cut in large dice
• 1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (I like the texture of the shaved cheese)
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions and your taste. Whole wheat pasta takes a little longer to cook, about 12-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent, season with salt and pepper, then stir in peppers and 1/2 cup of the thawed peas. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of the food processor, add 1/2 cup ricotta, garlic, and 1/2 cup thawed peas. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Process until mixture is smooth and creamy and bright green. Set aside.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water; drain off the rest.
5. Add to the drained pasta the sauce, the vegetables, the remaining 1/2 cup ricotta, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Stir to combine, adding a little cooking water if you need to thin the sauce. I added about 2 tablespoons water.
6. Serve with more Parmesan.