Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad with Figs and Mint

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad
with
Figs, Mint, Macadamia Nuts

Light, lemony, and refreshing. Perfect for a picnic side dish or a lunch on the veranda served with a chilled glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Nuts and fruit, lemon and mint – pair with crema di ricotta to make a pasta salad just meant to be enjoyed on a warm day in brilliant sunshine.

Fresh figs have two seasons in California – the first two weeks in June, then the second season runs August through October. If fresh figs are available, by all means try them in this salad – but if not, dried figs work just as well.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

pasta
olive oil
ricotta cheese
lemon juice
pasta water
mint
figs (fresh or dried)
lemon zest
macadamia nuts

Method:

Cook and drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss pasta with a splash of olive oil and let cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, add a good squeeze of lemon juice to ricotta cheese, then blend in just enough pasta water to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt.

Toss pasta with ricotta sauce. Top with sliced figs (fresh or dried), lemon zest, chiffonade of fresh mint, and chopped macadamia nuts.

Garnish with mint sprig. We served our pasta salad with a twist of fresh ground pink peppercorns too.

Food Network

featuring

Pasta Salads

Sensational Sides is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite side dishes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board with over 290,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair!

And if my Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad got you in the mood for more pasta salads, you might enjoy taking a peek at other recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…

food Feed Me Phoebe: Spicy Shrimp Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Sundried Tomatoes
The Lemon Bowl: Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pasta
TasteBook: Quick & Easy BLT Pasta Salad
Dishin & Dishes: Asian Noodle Salad
Homemade Delish: Red Lentil Pasta Salad
The Mom 100: Pasta Salad and Salmon with Ramp Dressing
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spring Pasta Salad With Sundried Tomatoes, Broccoli & Spinach
Taste with the Eyes: Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad with Figs and Mint
FN Dish: Picnic Pasta Salad Season Is Here