Pasta with Spinach and Pinenut Cream Cheese Sauce

In this one-pot dish, the spinach cooks right in the pot with the pasta. Spoon ricotta onto each serving, and let your guests mix it up themselves.

1/3 cup pinenuts
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 lb penne or other short tube pasta
1½ lb baby spinach, well washed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Spread pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 6-8 minutes, set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until 'al dente', about 7-8 minutes.

Add spinach during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain, return pasta and spinach to pot. Add oil, season generously with salt and pepper. Toss well.

Serve immediately, topped with ricotta, pine nuts, and Parmesan.

Makes 4 servings.