Orecchiette al sugo di ricotta forte con mele caramellate al miele millefiori e mentuccia

From the recipe book of Casalinga Luciana.

From the recipe book of Casalinga Luciana.

Ingredients

– 180/200 g of Orecchiette
– 1 Jar of Strong Ricotta Sauce
– 1 Fuji type apple (small)
– ½ Orange
– 1 Heaped spoonful of orange honey
– 1 knob of butter.
- Salt to taste
– 1 clove
OPTIONAL
– 1 fresh mint

  • Cooking time

    1 hour

  • Difficulty

    Average

  • Cost

Preparation

- Cut the apple into cubes
- Place the water for the pasta in a pan, add salt and as soon as it boils, add the orecchiette
- Pour a spoonful of orange juice and a knob of butter into a pan
- Melt everything over medium heat, then add the chopped apples and the clove
- Let it cook, moving the pan often without touching the apples so as not to crush them
- When the apples are golden and begin to caramelize and the sauce is a nice brown colour, turn off the heat
- Drain the pasta al dente and place it back in the pan, leaving a spoonful of cooking water
- Add the strong ricotta sauce leaving a spoonful of sauce aside and mix over high heat for a few seconds
- Turn the caramelized apple on low by adding a few drops of water and the spoonful of sauce you left previously. Gently turn the apples with their hot caramel sauce
- Serve the orecchiette, spread the caramelized apple sauce over the pasta
- Adding some fresh mint leaves

Suggestions

Fuji apples have a crunchy texture, a delicate and not too sour flavour. Granny Smiths, slightly more acidic, also work perfectly
Caramelizing the apples is the most complex part. Do not turn the apples during cooking but shake the pan very often, take care of them and turn off the heat when the honey is very dark but not burnt
Remember to remove the clove after a few minutes
Leave aside a spoonful of sauce
The caramel solidifies as soon as it cools, which is why it must be heated and diluted with a little sauce to be able to pour it onto the plates