Pasta with Green Beans and Ricotta

This pasta dish with green beans and ricotta is a wonderful side dish or even a great main dish. The pasta and the beans are tossed with lots of Parmesan or Romano cheese and herbs, and then combined with generous dollops of ricotta cheese. 

This pasta dish is pure comfort food. It's creamy, a little bit spicy, and loaded with freshly blanched French green beans cut into one inch pieces. You can even eat it from a bowl with a spoon while streaming your favorite show. 

I made this dish because I had a generous amount of fresh green organic beans from Melissa's Produce left from making these green beans with shallots and I defintely didn't want them to go to waste. 

I've also been on a pasta kick lately, including these Kung Pao Noodles. Plus, I had some leftover ricotta from making a wonderful baked ziti, sausage, and ricotta dish (recipe coming soon). Thus, this dish was born!

Ingredients You Will Need:

One Pound Dried Pasta: You can use any pasta you have on hand. Any pasta that would work for making macaroni and cheese would work the best. I ended up using two sizes of small elbow macaroni plus some ditalini, all pasta that I had leftover from other dishes. I cooked them all together because the cooking time on the packages was pretty much the same. 

Green Beans: You will need a pound of beans, cut into one inch pieces. 

Romano or Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated. Romano, from sheep's milk, has a sharper flavor. I used Parmesan cheese because I had it on hand. If you're working on using up ingredients, combining the cheeses would work too. 

Ricotta Cheese: You will need a cup. I absolutely love ricotta, even by itself or with a little added salt. Spread it on toast and add some tomatoes for a wonderful protein filled breakfast. 

Olive Oil: For combining with the cooked pasta and cheese. 

Herbs and Spices: Dried basil, crushed red peppers, fresh thyme, fresh dill, fresh chives, fresh parsley, and salt and pepper. You could use any combination of herbs, dried or fresh, you have on hand. 

To Make This Pasta with Green Beans and Ricotta:

First, boil the pasta until it is about two minutes short of al dente. Be sure to save about a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. In the meantime, boil the beans for four minutes, drain, and then plunge them into ice water. This helps keep the gorgeous green color. 

Next, add the pasta back to pot, along with the reserved water, the cheese, and a tablespoon of olive oil, along with the cookied beans. Add the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and cook for a minute or two, stirring. Dollop the ricotta over the mixture along with most of the herbs. Stir everything together and add the mixture to a serving dish. 

Finally, sprinkle the dish with the reserved herbs. 

Recipe Variations:

You can use any blend of herbs you like. You can also top this dish wih more cheese, such as mozzarella or gruyère and then broil the dish before serving. 

Pasta suggestions, besides elbow, include shells, bow ties, or cavatappi. Avoil long skinny pastas such as spagghetti. 

Sunday Funday:

We are sharing Recipes with Cottage Cheese (or Ricotta), Tofu, and Paneer: 

• Corn Paneer Parathas from Mayuri's Jikoni (our host)
• Cottage Cheese Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cottage Cheese Wraps from Making Miracles
• Cheese Paneer Tikka Open Sandwich in Air Fryer from Cook with Renu
• Firecracker Tofu Broccolini Stir-Fry from Food Lust People Love
• Homemade Paneer Recipe Ideas from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Paneer Tomato Rice With Leftover Rice For One from Sneha's Recipe
• Pasta with Green Beans and Ricotta from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Potato, Cottage Cheese, & Caramelized Onion Pierogi from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Retro Cottage Cheese Jello Salad from A Messy Kitchen

Pasta with Green Beans and Ricotta

Yield: 10 Servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

This pasta dish with green beans and ricotta is a wonderful side dish, or even main dish. The pasta and the beans are tossed with lots of Parmesan or Romano cheese and herbs, and then combined with generous dollops of ricotta cheese. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta, such as elbow pasta
• Salt for cooking water, plus more for seasoning
• 1 pound French-style green beans, cut into 1 inch segments
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is about two minutes short of al dente according to the package directions.
2. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Drain the pasta and return it to the same pot.
3. In the meantime, boil the beans for four minutes, drain, and then plunge them into ice water.
4. Add reserved water, the cheese, and a tablespoon of olive oil, along with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to the pot. Add the beans and cook on high heat for about a minute or two while stirring. Dollop the ricotta over the mixture along with most of the herbs. Stir everything together and add the mixture to a serving dish.
5. Finally, sprinkle the dish with the reserved herbs and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

258

Fat (grams)

7 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

38 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

35 g

Sugar (grams)

3 g

Protein (grams)

11 g

Cholesterol (grams)

18 mg

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