Ricotta & Pesto Pasta

This recipe is a definite favourite of mine – it has the same texture and flavour as a creamy pasta dish but I’ve substituted cream for reduced-fat ricotta cheese, making it a much lighter and healthier meal. To me, this dish is one of my all time comfort foods – creamy pesto, mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken and pine nuts – say no more! An absolute winner for winter!
  • Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

Basil Pesto (You will need 3 tbs of the basil pesto for this recipe which means leftover pesto bonus!)
  • 1½ cups basil leaves, firmly packed
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 60g grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Other ingredients
  • 7 large cup mushrooms sliced
  • 1 punnet mini Roma tomatoes halved
  • ½ brown onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 large skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 250g reduced-fat ricotta cheese (I used Perfect Italiano's light ricotta cheese)
  • 1tsp lemon rind (grated)
  • ¼ cup sliced black or Kalamata olives
  • 250g fettuccine pasta (I used Vetta's High Fibre variety)
  • pepper to taste
  • toasted pine nuts to serve

Method

To make basil pesto
  • Put basil and garlic into a food processor and process until almost smooth
  • Gradually add in olive oil and process until all oil is combined well
  • Transfer into bowl, mix in Parmesan and set aside.
Now for the rest of the recipe
  • Boil water in large saucepan and add 250g fettuccine pasta
  • In a separate pan, cook onion and garlic until golden brown in a little bit of olive oil.
  • Slice chicken breast into small pieces, add to fry pan with garlic and onion. Once cooked, remove chicken and set aside.
  • Add sliced mushrooms to fry pan and cook until softened and lightly browned. Tip: add small amount of water to speed up cooking process.
  • Add Roma tomatoes, olives and cooked pasta (save some of the water that the pasta was cooked in, the starch in the water helps to thicken the sauce and make it nice and silky)
  • Combine 250g ricotta, 3 tbs basil pesto (not the whole batch) and lemon rind well and add to fry pan. Stir through well, adding a small amount of the pasta water (approx ¼ cup) until a creamy consistency and silky texture is achieved.
  • Lastly, lightly stir through cooked chicken and chopped spinach, season with pepper and serve in a bowel or on a plate. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts over the top (optional) and enjoy!