Lidia's Fettuccine with Ricotta and Meat Ragu

About two weeks ago for Cookbook Saturday we decided to select something from Lidia Bastianich Commonsense Italian Cooking Cookbook. If you don't know who Lidia is she has had several great restaurants in New York City, currently Becco, she has a cooking show on PBS and is a partner of Eataly. Eataly is the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in the world at 42,500 square feet.  We love to follow her cooking show and have dined at Becco numerous times when visiting NYC.

Simply delicious! 

Fettuccine with Ricotta and Meat Ragu 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pot

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 medium onion, sliced

½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1-pound fettuccine

One 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 cup drained fresh ricotta

½ cup grated grana Padano cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and garlic, and cook until the sausage is browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the sliced onion, and season with the salt and the -red–pepper flakes. Cook until onion is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, slosh the tomato can out with 1 cup water, and add that as well. Bring to a simmer, and cook until thick and flavorful, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water.

When the pasta is al dente, transfer it to the finished sauce, picking it out of the boiling water with tongs, letting the excess water drip back into the boiling pot. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the ricotta and grated cheese, and serve.