Description
Creamy ricotta meets tart cranberries in this elegant Ricotta & Cranberry Rigatoni Salad, drizzled with zesty lemon vinaigrette. Refreshing Mediterranean flavors dance through each pasta bite, inviting palates to savor summer’s most delightful culinary harmony.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) rigatoni pasta
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) fresh arugula
Dried and Chopped Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup (50 grams) dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Boil a generously salted water pot and cook rigatoni until perfectly tender, maintaining a slight firmness to the pasta.
- Rapidly cool the cooked pasta by rinsing under cold water, ensuring it stops cooking and prevents clumping.
- Craft a vibrant lemon vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and cracked black pepper until smoothly integrated.
- In a spacious mixing vessel, layer the chilled rigatoni with creamy ricotta, tangy dried cranberries, crunchy toasted walnuts, peppery arugula, sharp Parmesan, and thinly sliced red onion.
- Gently cascade the prepared vinaigrette over the pasta mixture, carefully folding ingredients to ensure uniform coating without crushing delicate components.
- Allow the salad to rest briefly in the refrigerator, permitting flavors to harmonize and intensify, creating a more complex taste profile.
- Serve chilled, presenting a refreshing and textured pasta salad that balances creamy, crunchy, and zesty elements.
Notes
- Keep pasta slightly firm to maintain texture and prevent mushiness when mixed with other ingredients.
- Toast walnuts beforehand to enhance their nutty flavor and provide a delightful crunch.
- Rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping, ensuring a perfect salad consistency.
- Substitute ricotta with Greek yogurt for a lighter, protein-packed alternative that works great for health-conscious diets.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg