This is my version of a recipe I found on the internet. I hope you like it.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 package of pasta (shell or round)
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded ricotta cheese
- 4 diced tomatoes
- 4 large artichokes chopped
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup black olives sliced
- Carbohydrate 13.726005349359 g
- Cholesterol 72.6412 mg
- Fat 22.7103610320513 g
- Fiber 5.00705840355655 g
- Protein 10.3155642403846 g
- Saturated Fat 12.5867035583333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (221g)
- Sodium 405.849816666667 mg
- Sugar 8.71894694580243 g
- Trans Fat 1.92373084871796 g
- Calories 288 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook onions, bell peppers, and garlic in oil, until vegetables are tender.
- Add the diced tomatoes, and cook another 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.
- Stir in all the other ingredients, except the Mozzarella cheese, pasta, and olives.
- Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick.
- Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
- Stir in the cheese sauce and the olives.
- Spinkle with Mozzarella cheese.
- Place in microwave oven and heat until cheese is melted.
Avoiding the Grainy Dairy Trap
The single most frequent mistake when building heavy cream and cream cheese sauces is applying excessive heat directly to the dairy. Milk proteins coagulate rapidly when exposed to temperatures exceeding 180 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in a grainy texture rather than a smooth emulsion. Cook the initial aromatics like onions and bell peppers in olive oil over medium-low heat until fully softened, then reduce the burner output before incorporating the heavy cream, cream cheese, and ricotta. Whisk continuously during the five-minute thickening phase to distribute the fat evenly across the pan. If the sauce begins to tighten too quickly, splash in two tablespoons of reserved hot pasta cooking water containing dissolved starches to loosen the mixture without diluting flavor.
Managing Prep Load and Equipment
Dicing four tomatoes, chopping four large artichokes, and slicing black olives generate significant volume, requiring a wide-diameter skillet or Dutch oven of at least five-quart capacity to prevent overcrowding during the vegetable saute stage. Standard stovetop pans often lack the surface area needed to evaporate tomato moisture efficiently within five minutes. When the final assembly requires melting mozzarella cheese under indirect heat, standard microwave ovens work effectively at seventy percent power for ninety seconds, though a conventional broiler set to high for two minutes offers superior browning on the cheese layer if transferred to an oven-safe baking dish.
