Fumé Blanc
North Coast
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Ingredients
Roasted Tomatoes:
- ½ pound grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 ½ tsp fresh oregano leaves, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Pesto:
- 4 loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled but whole
- 3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 3 tbsp pistachios
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese
To Finish:
- Sea salt
- 1 pound Busiate or Rigatoncino pasta
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Directions
Roast the tomatoes: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, then drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Add the thyme, oregano, and garlic and toss to coat. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Roast until the tomatoes start to blister as if they were scorched by the Sicilian sun, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high head for the pasta. When the pasta water reaches a rolling boil, salt the water so it tastes like a well-seasoned soup. Drop in the pasta and cook until very al dente a little more than half the amount of time in the package directions. Drain the pasta but watch over the “tears of the Gods” (by reserving the pasta water) as if they belonged to Cleopatra herself.
Make the pesto: place first 7 pesto ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the ricotta and and process until it is slightly whipped and creamy.
In a large deep sauté pan, add the pasta and about three-quarters of the tomatoes (reserve the rest for garnish). Add the pesto and a ladle of pasta water and set the pan over a whisper of a flame. Stir the pasta lovingly, adding more pasta water as needed, until a creamy, irresistible sauce forms and the past is cooked through to al dente.
Plate the pasta in a warm pasta plate or bowl, then garnish with the reserved roasted tomatoes, a scrunch of pepper, and a crown of fresh basil. Pour yourself a glass of Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc and enjoy…Just Gorgeous!