How to Cook Italian Pasta Mafalde with Tomatoes and Ricotta

The pasta used in this recipe is called mafalde or manfredi. These noodles were invented by the royal cook to mark the birth of a daughter to the Italian king Vittorio Emmanuelle III. These long dough slices with wavy edges are prepared of hard wheat only. They are especially delicious with soft cottage cheese or ricotta. This is how they are cooked in Naples, with the addition of tomato juice and a generous topping of grated Parmesan. Hard wheat pasta is not fattening, as it contains slow carbohydrates, and it is especially wholesome if you boil it al dente.

Ingredients for Italian Pasta Mafalde with Tomatoes and Ricotta

• 0.7 lb/ 300 g mafalde noodles
• 0.9 lb/ 400 g grated tomatoes
• 0.5 lb/ 250 g cottage cheese or ricotta
• 1-2 shallots
• some basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• grated Parmesan, salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Peel and chop shallots finely.
2. Pour olive oil into a frying pan and fry the shallots to transparency, then add the grated tomatoes, salt and cook it over low heat for about 20 minutes. Right before turning the heat off add the cut basil.
3. Boil three liters of water in a big pot, salt it and boil mafalde noodles until al dente. You must boil them for 10-12 minutes.
4. Then use a colander to drain water out of mafalde and arrange the noodles on plates straightaway.
5. Pour the dish with the hot sauce, top it with ricotta and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.