Serves 6
Notes
Once, during my many years researching Italian recipes, I found a spinach dish that was attributed to Michelangelo. It contained raisins and pignoli along with the braised spinach. It seemed natural for me to build upon those basic pedigree ingredients and make this delicious pasta dish.
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pot
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- One -5--ounce bag fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 pound mafalde or fettuccine
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1½ cups drained fresh ricotta
- ½ cup grated Grana Padano
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Soak the raisins in hot water to cover for 10 minutes, then drain. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, and season with the salt.
Once the spinach is in the skillet, start cooking the pasta. Let the spinach cook until wilted, about 3 or 4 minutes, then ladle in 1 cup pasta water and add the raisins and nutmeg. Simmer until the pasta is ready. Once the pasta is almost done, stir the ricotta into the sauce over low heat. Remove the pasta with tongs, and add directly to the sauce, adding a little more pasta water if the pasta seems dry.
Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the grated cheese, and serve.
