Fusilli Con Ricotta e Bruschetta

Dear Bloggers,
        Ahhhh the fresh fragrance of basil picked straight from the garden and fresh vine ripened tomatoes with fresh garlic, soothes my soul. Today I wanted to head North and compliment them on they're white pasta. You may not be aware, but within every different region of Italy, food changes and is known specifically for its location. In northern Italy, they cook with a lot of cream sauces, white sauces, and greens. In the south they cook a lot of red sauces, a lot of seafood, and tend to use more olive oil opposed to butter. Fusilli con ricotta is a classic dish eaten predominantly among the northerners, however, we in the south do enjoy this meal sporadically.
          Now that you have some education on the background of this dish, let me discuss how I cooked it. I began by cooking the pasta for 8 minutes, until al dente. On the side, I combined

ricotta with diced spinach, garlic, olive oil, chili flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. I also cut up some fresh whole wheat bread and dressed it with olive oil and garlic. I toasted it in the oven until perfectly golden brown. For the bruschetta, I chopped some tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Once the pasta was cooked, I added it to a pan with the ricotta and spinach and let cook for 10 minutes until well incorporated. Once the bread was done, I topped it off with the tomatoes and basil and served it immediately. So simple and so beautiful. The most satisfying part of tonight was cutting into the basil leaves and knowing that summer was just in bloom. Until next time my readers, stay healthy and of course, happy cooking!