Pizzoccheri with green beans and sheep milk Ricotta cheese

• 10 minutes to prepare • 20 minutes to cook • Serves 4

Pizocher #2

 

Almost no butter in this light version of pizzoccheri, the typical pasta of Valtellina.

Pizzoccheri are a type of short tagliatelle, made with buckwheat flour, which are traditionally cooked along with greens and cubed potatoes. Valtellina region is indeed close to Alps and has cold winters, which only hardy vegetables survive. Thus, the original dish incorporates both, along with butter and cheese for surprisingly delicious results.

Today's recipe features instead zucchini and green beans, and sheep milk ricotta cheese, which give the dish an intense but fresh flavor.
The hearty flavor and coarse texture of pizzoccheri pasta really works well together with creamy cheese and crunchy vegetables: just try it and see!

Here are ingredients for a 4-serving recipe:

400 g pizzoccheri pasta
2 potatoes
2 zucchini
200 g fresh green beans
200 g sheep milk Ricotta cheese
50 g butter
EVO oil
salt and pepper

1. Pour 1 l of water in a large pot and bring to boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Wash green beans under running water, trim their ends  and cut them into small pieces
2. As soon as the water boils, dip potatoes, and green beans in the pot, and go on with the cooking for about 5 minutes
3. At this point, add pizzoccheri pasta, too. Follow the time instructions reported on the package: usually this kind of pasta is ready in about 15 minutes
4. Meanwhile, trim both ends of the zucchini. Then, cut them by half and julienne the zucchini with a mandolin
5. Heat 4 tablespoons of EVO oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Drop zucchini gently into the frying oil, and using a spider or spoon, gently stir the pieces in the oil so they brown evenly
6. Fry the zucchini for roughly 2-3 minutes. Transfer the zucchini fries to the paper towel lined baking sheet. Season immediately with salt and pepper
7. Melt butter in a large pan
8. Drain pizzoccheri and pour them in the pan, together with potatoes and green beans. Add ricotta cheese and stir to mix. Add some cooking water, whether necessary
9. Sprinkle pizzoccheri with fried zucchini and freshly ground pepper and serve immediately!

Nutrition Facts are detailed in the table below. Data is provided per serving.

Girls just wanna have sun.