Pappardelle With Greens and Ricotta Recipe (2024)

I made this with Bulgarian sheep's milk feta instead of the ricotta because I had it already. It's very soft but sharper than ricotta, and worked amazingly well. (Also used parmesan.) I used already prepped mixed baby greens, and so did not blanch them first, just added them directly to the garlic and oil, after first sauteeing some leftover shredded chicken, and added some chopped flat-leaf parsley at the end. The dish is really delicious, packs a ton of flavor, and very easy to make.

Why not chop the greens when raw, then add the greens to the boiling pasta for the last minute of cooking, Then dump both pasta and greens into the strainer, stain well and add other ingredients. This is what I usually do - so much easier. Am I missing out on something? Would appreciate advice.

This was incredible. I couldn't find pappardelle so used spaghetti; was delicious and I'm convinced it will work well with any pasta. Also used store bought ricotta and kale. Definitely needs significant salt and pepper. All in all- great weeknight meal and I have plenty of leftovers.

This was really good. I also added some cut up cherry tomatoes to the garlic/oil saute. I used freshly-made ricotta, which I wouldn't do next time because it melts and you really can't tell the difference. I'd save it for dolloping on top/garnish next time. Otherwise, great and easy!

2/24/16. Used 1/2 recipe and penne pasta; added 1 lb chopped fresh capriani tomatoes cooked for 10 minutes in olive oil and garlic and some anchovies. No need for the pasta water. 1/2 c ricotta added after cooking 5 ou baby kale for a few minutes. Served with sautéed pork chops.

This was fantastic. Went "high-end" and found some "hand dipped" ricotta and also fresh pasta sheets that I cut papardelle from. As suggested earlier, I too blistered some cherry tomatoes before adding the garlic and greens to the skillet. This is company-worthy!

For me this was so-so. We used broccoli raab and made it per the recipe. It needed a little more zing I thought. I would try it again with some lemon zest and/or lemon juice or a more zingy cheese.

This was a terrific recipe. Thanks. Of course, I varied it like everyone does. Blended the ricotta with grated pecorino (that's what I had on hand) and one egg yolk (don't know why). My garden had only cavulo nero, some broccoli rapia, and mustard greens so that's what I used. Amazing how quickly this came together to thunderous applause.

I sautéed the greens (instead of boiling them) and crumbled Italian sausage (removed from casings and browned until crispy) over each serving. The sausage added flavor, texture and protein. Delicious!

A wonderful way to use the abundance of greens in the garden this time of year. I used Swiss chard and kale from my garden. I added sliced baby portabella mushrooms with the garlic, before the greens. I think it adds a nice texture, taste, and visual interest to the dish. I tried it another time with cherry tomatoes in addition to the mushrooms, and will not do that again. It did not improve the dish, and added a distracting flavor.

Cook some halved cherry tomatoes with the oil and garlic. Can add the kale/chard to cooking pasta for the last minute and drain. Can use other pasta e.g. penne, spaghetti etc.

Seriously short on flavor. Followed the recipe, including parboiling the greens. Used beautiful, organic beet greens & kale from the farmers market. The only change I made was to add an anchovy.If I did make this again I would triple the garlic, add several anchovies and some red pepper, then finish it with lemon.

Why not chop the greens when raw, then add the greens to the boiling pasta for the last minute of cooking, Then dump both pasta and greens into the strainer, stain well and add other ingredients.

Followed the recipe exactly the first time and it was ok, but very bland and not particularly distinctive. The second time I made it I added a pinch of pepperoncino flakes to the kale and garlic when sautéing, plus a healthy squeeze of lemon and the zest of one medium lemon to the ricotta before assembling the pasta. Once assembled and tossed, I topped it with Panko that had been oven toasted with a little olive oil and butter, then tossed all again. The result was far better.

This was ok - with the creaminess of the ricotta, I feel the pasta needed an acid to balance it out. Next time I would try adding lemon and lemon zest to the dish, or cherry tomatoes as others have suggested.

Added 4oz smoked salmon for added protein. Fresh herbs & lemon to brighten up. Next time may add fresh peas too, white wine

Ricotta is easy to whip up on the spot if you don’t have any in the fridge—bring whole milk almost (but not!!) to boiling, take off heat and add a little white vinegar and salt, stir gently to separate curds and whey (add a little more vinegar if not separating), gently drain, enjoy!

Good easy. Could use a little more flavor.

This extra step of boiling and icing the chard is unnecessary. Treat chard like kale or spinach. Chop before sauteing, and saute it with the garlic for just a few minutes until tender. Then season and add the juice of a lemon and/or lemon zest to the greens before adding the cooked pasta and cheese blend.

As recommended by others, I added both anchovies (to the garlic sautee) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Very good, if a little bland. If I didn't have vegetarians in the family I would add a little mild sausage. If I didn't have spice-wimps, I'd add red chili flakes

Great! I've added some porcini mushrooms, some thyme and subbed in a burrata for the ricotta for an extra rich treat.

Grand! Sautéed some porcini mushrooms with the greens, gave it all a dash of thyme and subbed a burrata for the ricotta to make a very rich tasty treat.

Delicious. Family loved it. I used Swiss chard the day I harvested it from the farm. I followed the recipe except I didn’t boil the greens because they were too fresh. I sautéed the stems in garlic a few minutes, then added the leaves for another minute or two.

Made this tonight with a few of the suggestions in notes: lots more garlic, some red pepper flakes and lemon juice at the end. I think it’s really important to season every step— salt the water, salt the ricotta, salt the kale/garlic mix —because it can be a bit bland if you don’t. But overall, this is a good dish you can serve as is or riff on. Cheap, nutritious, and fast. What more do you need on a Tuesday?

Browned fresh sausage in pan first, then added garlic, then chopped kale & chard. Mixed this with cooked pasta in bowl with ricotta/pasta water. Added more splashes of pasta water. Pecorino also. Out of this world! Meant to add mushrooms but forgot. Great comfort food with healthy amount greens (chop well, add more!), toddler loved.

Made with kale - was great, and even the 19 month old liked it!

Cooking the chard as the recipe recommends is the way to go. The chard becomes lusciously silky and infused with the garlicky oil and really is worth the one extra (easy to clean) pan. I wasn't sure whether to use fresh or dried pappardelle and decided to use 1 inch wide fresh pappardelle. The extra starch from the fresh pasta turned out to be an asset in creating a smooth flavorful sauce.

To die for! If you need more kick add crushed red pepper with garlic. I used curly kale from our CSA and tossed it in pot (chopped) one minute before papardelle was done. Drain pasta and greens together and you’re good to go! Elegant and delicious .

I made it as directed, except that I cooked the spinach less. It was excellent; just what I wanted.