The Whipped Ingredient The Pasta Queen Adds To Pesto For A Show-Stopping Sauce

If you're looking to take pasta night to the next level, who better to turn to than the Queen herself? Cookbook author and social media star Nadia Caterina Munno — also known as The Pasta Queen — is known for her exuberant and approachable recipe videos that highlight the wonders of Italian cuisine. Recently, Munno posted an Instagram video sharing the recipe for "Cleopatra of Sicily," a roasted tomato and pesto-laden pasta featured in her latest book, "The Pasta Queen: The Art of Italian Cooking."

In the video, the Queen lets her followers in on her secret for making the perfect pesto sauce using one luscious ingredient: whipped ricotta. Munno's sauce starts with the same components as any classic pesto — fresh basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, and olive oil — but gets a flavor upgrade with the addition of pecorino cheese and pistachios. However, the Queen takes her pesto to the next level by adding a generous helping of creamy ricotta.

Not only does the herbaceous sauce benefit from ricotta's uniquely tangy notes, but it also takes on an airy, velvety texture as the soft cheese gets whipped into the other ingredients. While this luxe sauce is ideal for dressing a plate of pasta, it would be just as spectacular as a dip for crunchy crudités or simply spread on a slice of toasted sourdough. Either way, as the Pasta Queen says, "Nonna would be proud!"

Adding ricotta to your pesto is a fantastic way to elevate a pasta dish, but the magic of this creamy curd cheese doesn't stop there. Want to achieve the perfect bite of pasta every time? Whip a splash of heavy cream with ricotta and spread the mixture into a bowl before piling it high with saucy pasta pomodoro. Ricotta can also take center stage in meat-free meatballs known as polpette di ricotta. These pillowy cheese balls come together by mixing ricotta with seasoned breadcrumbs and eggs, shaping them into spheres, and simmering them in a flavorful tomato sauce.

But pasta isn't the only way to enjoy the wonders of salty ricotta. Elevate your favorite fresh or frozen pizza by loading ricotta into a piping bag (or sandwich bag) and dolloping it directly onto the pie. When combined with a more aromatic cheese like parmesan, ricotta also becomes the ideal base for a decadent, sauce-free white pizza. And as if it couldn't get any better, ricotta is the ultimate secret ingredient for breakfast — just whip a scoop into your pancake batter to create soufflé-like pancakes guaranteed to please.