Ingredients (~6 Servings)
- ~1.5 lbs bow tie pasta (farfalle)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- 5 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- ~1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt (plus more for pasta water)
Cooking the Pasta and Saving the Water
Fill a large pot with plenty of water, and make sure to add a lot of salt so that it tastes like the ocean (the salty water will help to season the pasta while it cooks).
After you have filled your pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat then add your pasta to it.
Cook your pasta for about two minutes less than what is stated on the box (this is how long it takes to cook pasta that is al dente).
Before you drain your pasta, make sure to save about 1.5 cups of your starchy cooking water in a bowl.
You will use this water to create a creamy emulsified sauce that will coat the pasta.
Cooking the Garlic and Aromatics
Heat a large skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet.
Once the oil is hot, add in some minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
Sauté for approximately thirty seconds.
The garlic should be fragrant, but not browned or burnt, as it will turn bitter if you cook it for too long.
Bursting the Cherry Tomatoes
Pour the entire contents of the container of whole cherry tomatoes into the same skillet with the garlic and red pepper.
Continue to cook the tomatoes in the skillet for approximately eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
While cooking, you want the skin of the cherry tomatoes to blister and the insides to burst open, which will release moisture into the pan.
If some of the tomatoes are really stubborn, you can press them down with the back of a wooden spoon.
Blooming the Tomato Paste
Once the tomatoes have burst, add some tomato paste and Italian seasoning to the tomatoes in the skillet.
You should continue to stir this mixture constantly for one to two minutes.
This step is essential because frying the tomato paste not only removes that “metallic” flavor from canned tomato paste but also deepens the flavor of the ingredients and results in a deep, brick-red color.
Preparing the Cream Sauce
After frying for one to two minutes, reduce the heat to medium/low and slowly add the cream and half of the saved pasta water to the mixture.
Stir in the parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and salt.
Continue to simmer for five minutes, during which time the mixture will continue to bubble and thicken enough to coat a spoon.
Completing the Pasta
Once the sauce is finished cooking for five minutes, pour the cooked pasta into the skillet with the sauce and stir it together so that all the pasta is coated with sauce.
Allow the pasta to cook in the sauce for two to three more minutes.
If the cream sauce becomes too thick or “tight” after two to three minutes, add another splash or two of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
Creamy Tomato Bow Tie Pasta
Ingredients
~6 Servings
- ~1.5 lbs bow tie pasta farfalle
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- 5 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- ~1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more for pasta water
Instructions
- Boil salted water and cook pasta 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water before draining.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add cherry tomatoes and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until blistered and burst. Press stubborn ones with spoon.
- Stir in tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until paste darkens.
- Lower heat to medium-low. Add heavy cream and 3/4 cup reserved pasta water.
- Stir in parmesan, ricotta, and salt. Simmer 5 minutes until thickened.
- Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss to coat. Cook 2-3 minutes to finish cooking pasta in sauce.
- Add more pasta water as needed to reach silky consistency.
