Bucatini w/ Herb-whipped Ricotta and Easy Marinara Sauce

Quick & delicious pasta dinner!

Bucatini’s tube-like shape is a perfect vehicle for our One Potato Easy Marinara Sauce. Topped simply with creamy herb-whipped ricotta, Parmesan, and basil, this dish will make you feel like you’re at an Italian trattoria. Serve it with a green salad, with fresh ripe apricots or juicy end-of-season peaches and almonds, and toss with our One Potato Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette, you’ll have happy smiling faces all around your dinner table! We promise. Even better, this meal comes together super quickly if you prepare the homemade marinara sauce in advance, or use your favorite store-bought.

Meal Prep:

1. Make the Marinara Sauce Ahead of Time: Prepare the One Potato Easy Marinara Sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat just before serving.

2. Pre-Make Whipped Ricotta: You can whip the ricotta a day ahead and store it in the fridge. This also allows the flavors to meld more.

3. Pre-Cook Pasta: If you're short on time, cook the bucatini a few hours before serving. After cooking, toss it in olive oil and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat by tossing it in hot water for a minute.

Time Savers:

1. Store-Bought Options: For ultimate convenience, buy store-bought marinara sauce and salad vinaigrette.

Make Extra:

1. Herb-Whipped Ricotta is versatile: Make extra to have on toast for breakfast the next morning, it’s delicious! Make your ricotta breakfast toast fancy by adding fruit toppings and even a sprinkling of hemp or chia seeds.  You can also stir it into eggs or use it as an omelette filling for a creamy tasty brunch treat.

2. Cooked Beets: Buy already cooked red and yellow beets from the store, and top with your freshly made herb-whipped ricotta as an extra side dish with your bucatini, or have with another meal the next day.

3. Combine Ingredients: If you’re making the Balsamic Fig Vinaigrette, use leftover Mission figs as toppings on your herb-whipped ricotta toast. You can have this for breakfast, lunch, or even as an appetizer with dinner the next day. Even if you’re using store-bought, now you can keep this ricotta toast in mind to use as a quick snack for you and your family.

4. Salad Dressing: Use your One Potato Balsamic Fig Vinaigrette as a dressing for a cool fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad.

Don’t forget our mantra: we recommend reading through the full recipe and taking out all the ingredients before you begin cooking.

Bucatini w/ Herb-Whipped Ricotta and Easy Marinara Sauce

For 4 Servings

Wash and dry any produce.

One Potato Kitchen Tools: large pot, colander, small bowl, large bowl, chef’s knife, cutting board

From Your Pantry: salt (kosher or sea), pepper, canola oil