Barilla “Share the Table” Blog Tour

In our home, eating at the table as a family has become an important part of the daily routine.  Eating together gives us a chance to catch up on each other’s day as well as build bonds and connect over good food and conversation.  This past year, Barilla launched “Share the Table,” a program aimed at empowering families to make the most of dinnertime.  As the program enters its second year, Barilla has redesigned the Share the Table website, to provide more recipes from chefs like Mario Batali and tips on how families can make meal times more meaningful. 

To help families get started sharing the table, Barilla now offers “Pasta Friday Sweepstakes” with weekly winners of pasta and pasta sauce giveaways and has created the “Mealtime Moments Contest,” which gives families who commit to enhancing mealtime the opportunity to share their stories and win select prizes throughout the summer.  For each person that becomes a fan of meaningful meals at ShareTheTable.com, Barilla will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels Association of America, helping seniors at risk of hunger get the nutritious food they need.

This recipe is easy to make and tastes so good!

Ziti Alla Pastora

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time:  35 minutes
Servings:  4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 box BARILLA Ziti
1/2 pound fresh pork sausage, crumbled
1/4 cup water
1/2 pound fresh ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated

Preparation:

– Place the crumbled sausage in a skillet, add the water, and cook over medium-high heat for 6 minutes.  Remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the water evaporates and the sausage is browned.

– Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.

– Cook the Ziti according to the package directions until tender yet al dente.

– Meanwhile, place the ricotta in a large warmed bowl and mix in the chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste.

– Drain the pasta, reserving the 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

– Add the pasta to the skillet with the cooked sausage mixture and place over medium heat.  Toss to mix well and transfer the whole mixture into the bowl with the ricotta.  Add some of the pasta cooking water if necessary to thin the mixture.

– Add the parsley and season again with salt and pepper if necessary.

– Top with grated Pecorino cheese and divide evenly among 6 pasta bowls.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Barilla and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review.