Ingredients (for 4 people)

1/3 left over dried out baguette
10 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons capers
8-10 stalks of mint
Zest of 1 lemon
1 pound tagliatelle pasta
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 cup black Taggiasca olives in oil without stones (at your economy grocery)
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Cut bread in ¾ inch cubes. Heat four tablespoons oil. Add bread and pine nuts and roast until pine nuts have a slightly brown color. Drain on a kitchen towel to reduce some of the oil. Add garlic to remaining oil and let it slightly simmer until the garlic is soft. When it is soft, put it in a bowl and mash it to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Put capers in cold water for 5-10 minutes to reduce the salt. Then strain. Tear the mint leaves a bit so you don’t have whole leaves. Wash the lemon under hot water and dry it. Grate it on the fine side of the grater. Press all the juice out of the lemon.

Boil pasta in salted water for about 9 minutes until almost done. Heat mashed garlic, oil, capers, olives, 1 cup of the pasta water and ricotta cheese. Cook on low heat 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Strain pasta and add to the other ingredients. Add mint. Stir all together.

Garnish with roasted bread and pine nuts. A sprinkle of pepper on top will add a nice color as well.

If you are interested in setting up a cooking class with Klaus, he can be found on facebook at www.facebook.com/CookingWithKlaus or via email at CookingwithKlaus@web.de.

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