This is what I want my daughter to remember me for, the joy of the unexpected. This recipe was created in a ballet of serendipity and I can see her coming home after a bad day and curling up on the couch with a glass of wine and a steaming bowl of this, comforted by the memories of her childhood and of me teaching her to make it. I can see her sitting on my hip helping me to scoop out the curds for the homemade ricotta that is responsible for making this recipe such a creamy delight. <br /> <br />It is the kind of dish I WISH my mother had made for me as a child, but she is not what you would call adventurous in the kitchen. I have much more of a tendency to fly by the seat of my pants as a cook (after I learn the technique). Being fascinated by the chemistry of cooking, I used 1% milk as opposed to whole milk or heavy cream for the sauce in an attempt to make it a little healthier. I find it fascinating to watch milk reach the point where it starts to thicken, be it heavy cream, whole, 1% or even non-fat. <br /> <br />When I grabbed some greens from my potted herb garden for the sauce, I discovered they were definitely NOT basil. They smelled great next to the bubbling pot, so I threw them in anyway. Serendipity? Totally. The flavor of the mint blended beautifully with the zip of the white pepper, saving it from being too heavy. The addition of the homemade ricotta helped to keep the cream sauce light while transforming it into the tasty treat my husband and daughter ask for over and over again.

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