Spaghetti With Sun-Kissed Tomatoes, Ricotta and Crispy Prosciutto
This is a taste of summer sunshine and the epitome of simple. Sungold, Early Girl or any small succulent tomato works splendidly with a generous dollop of fresh ricotta and a sheet of fried prosciutto. Swirl basil-infused oil around each plate if you happen to have some on hand. To make this dish vegetarian, top it with a few tablespoons of fried capers instead of the prosciutto.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 15 ounces Sungold or Early Girl tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 14 ounces dried spaghetti, spaghettini, bucatini or trenette
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup whole-milk or smoked ricotta
- Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving
Instructions
- Line a plate with paper towels. In a large frying pan over low heat, warm ¼ cup oil and garlic until fragrant, 4 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium. Add 3 slices prosciutto to pan, and gently pan-fry 3 minutes, then flip and cook until crisp, about 1 minute more. Transfer prosciutto to prepared plate to drain, and repeat with remaining prosciutto, adding oil as needed. Discard garlic cloves.
- Reduce heat to low, add butter and tomatoes to pan, and stir to combine. Keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Use a large spider or tongs to transfer pasta into warm tomatoes.
- Add about ¼ cup pasta water to pan and toss well to coat. Add salt and ½ cup basil, then season generously with pepper.
- Serve pasta topped with dollops of ricotta, some shaved Parmigiano and crispy sheets of prosciutto. Finish with a splash of olive oil and remaining ½ cup basil.