1 cup (125 g/4.4 oz) uncooked penne pasta
1 cup (300 g/11 oz) ricotta cheese
4 eggs, separated and brought to room temperature
¼ cup (½ stick/125 g/4.4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup (60 g/2.1 oz) grated mozzarella cheese
1 ½ cups (400 g/14 oz) tomato paste
4 leaves fresh basil
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C).
In a gallon of salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Combine ricotta, egg yolks, butter, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, and tomato paste. Fold in cooked pasta. Set aside.
In a spotlessly clean metal bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks with cream of tartar. Gently fold into pasta mixture.
Pour into a parchment-lined high-sided roasting pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
15 minutes
Remove foil and lower temperature to 350 °F (177 °C). Bake for another 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly on top.
30 minutes
Place serving portions onto plates and garnish with basil. Serve warm.