Rotini with ricotta

I can't sleep so I'll post the recipe I made for dinner. Courtesy of Jeanne Lemlin. Now, if you were going to be stuck on an island with somebody, Jeanne might not be a bad choice. She's a very good cook. Of course, ideally you'd have your husband/wife with you too.

This was quite simple and yummy, and D enjoyed it greatly. (As did I.)

You'll need:

1 lb rotini
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, with their juice
1/2 t salt
1/4 t red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c chopped basil
1/2 c part-skim ricotta (approx)
4 T olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for 1-2 min. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then let it simmer for 10 min, or until it's thickened. You can mash some of the tomatoes with a large spoon. This improves the consistency of the sauce, says Jeanne.

Once the water is boiling, cook the rotini until it's al dente (about 8 min). Drain and return to the pot. Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the basil, and pour the sauce over the rotini. Cook for 1 min, stirring. Serve in pasta bowls with some ricotta spooned on top.

Yum...