Penne alla Fornaia - Penne with Tomatoes, Pesto, and Ricotta

If there is one thing that unites Italians everywhere, I would say it is pasta. They are in love with pasta. They argue about it, and they can not let a day go by without it. I love this particular pasta dish best in the summer when there are vine ripen tomatoes and fresh basil in the garden. You can also use imported canned Italian tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano) as you will find below. Finding a good Italian whole milk ricotta is important to the flavor of this sauce as well. Shop your local Italian market or deli for a good Italian ricotta, if not buy the very best brand you can find.

Place 4 cups canned imported tomatoes with their juice through a food mill or strainer to remove seeds.

Heat 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/3 large red onion finely diced and 1 garlic clove minced. Cook and stir until onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes.

Ass 1 cup of dry white wine and cook until the wine is almost all reduced.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. The sauce will start to reduce and thicken and reduce some.

Add 2 tablespoons pesto and mix in well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 tablespoons ricotta and mix well with a wooden spoon until it is incorporated completely into the sauce.

While the sauce is cooking, boil penne in a large pot of salted water until tender but al dente.

Drain the penne and add it to the sauce. Mix well.

Serve immediately sprinkled with freshly grated parmigiano.

Note: You can use your favorite recipe for pesto in this recipe or a store-bought pesto though it won't taste as fresh as it will if you make your own. I will add my recipe for pesto soon.