A peek Into My Kitchen: Lemon-Basil Pasta with Ricotta

Happy New Year!  What mom hasn't resolved to try to be less stressed out about the little things in the new year?! Here is a super easy pasta recipe that takes almost no time to put together--yummy and completely stress free!  One caveat--make it right before you intend to serve it so it doesn't get dried out and yucky. Lemon-Basil Penne with Ricotta Serves 3-4 1 1-pound box penne 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/3 cup snippedbasil (You can also substitute other fresh herbs such as parsley or tarragon) Zest of 1 lemon, grated finely sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserving 1/2 cup of the water, drain the pasta, then return it to the pot. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and ricotta.  Slowly add pasta water until a rich, creamy sauce forms--use as much or as little as you like to reach your desired consistency. Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Add the herbs, zest, salt, and pepper and toss gently.

Note: You can also add lightly sauteed cherry tomatoes, chopped pitted black olives and/or steamed broccoli to this pasta to add additional color and flavor.