Before stumbling into this recipe from Bon Appetit we had never heard of pasta with white pesto. Although we researched a bit and couldn’t find pesto bianco in any Italian cookbook, we just loved the idea of combining the freshest ricotta, nuts and parmigiano reggiano to create a creamy, nuanced sauce to be tossed with fresh corzetti pasta. We like to think of it as a lighter take on cacio & pepe.
This recipe for corzetti pasta with white pesto is refreshing and bursting with texture and comforting flavors. A minimalist, crazy-simple pesto that comes together in less time than it takes to cook the pasta, white pesto reinforces the assumption that corzetti needs a glossy sauce to shine at its best.
Corzetti Pasta with White Pesto
Ingredients:
300 gr fresh ricotta cheese
50 gr almonds, roughly chopped
100 gr parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, chopped almonds and grated parmigiano reggiano until well combined. Now add about 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and stir until the oil disappears into the white pesto. Season with salt and black pepper.
Prepare corzetti as usual. Cook it in boiling salted water until al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the cooking liquid to your white pesto (a tablespoon at a time, making sure the sauce doesn’t get too watery) and mix until smooth. Toss the pesto bianco with the corzetti pesto, stir to combine and serve immediately.