Pasta with Ricotta & Veggies

This dish is amazingly easy and the variations are so numerous you could put it on your menu every week and not get tired of it. The basics are pasta tossed in a little butter, ricotta & parmesan cheese. Then you top it with any cooked veggie, preferably cooked in a savory way, like a grilled zucchini (like I did last night) or a steamed spinach with a bit of butter (like I did last week). Some other ideas that I think would be marvelous - sauteed peppers, roasted broccoli, grilled onions, or sauteed peas.

Serves 4 (with leftovers)
$12

Ingredients

• 12 oz pasta of choice
  
• 1 Tbls butter for the pasta
  
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan (I like more parmesan, but it's a little salty for some folks)
• 12 oz - 1 lb of your vegetable of choice (we'll go spinach here)
• 1/2 tbls butter for the spinach
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions
2. Strain and place in a serving bowl, covering so you can retain a little moisture
3. Rinse the spinach and steam it over low heat in the empty noodle pot using just the water sticking to the leaves (takes about 3-5 minutes)
   
4. Mix together the ricotta and parmesan in a small bowl
5. Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture
6. Salt & pepper to taste
   
7. When the spinach is done, mix a 1/2 Tbls butter
8. Put a scoop of the veggies on top of a scoop of pasta
9. Enjoy!