Straightforward Ricotta Pasta – Creamy, Speedy, and Satisfying from the Pantry

Why you’ll love this Simple Ricotta Pasta!

Earlier this year I started sharing weekly meal plans with 5 simple dinner recipes to make after-work dinners so much easier! As a result, I’ve been working on sharing a lot more truly simple meals that come together in 30 minutes or less and this Ricotta Pasta recipe is exactly that!

Here are only a few reasons you’ll LOVE it:

• Fast + unfussy – 20 minutes start to finish which worth a second batch it for.
• Especially creamy without cream – ricotta does all the work!
• Customizable – add lemon for brightness, herbs for freshness, or veggies for extra nutrition. You could also add any protein you prefer to genuinely fill this meal out!
• Busy-night friendly – pantry + fridge staples ONLY.

Worth making it as much as we have!

Ingredients needed

The full written recipe is down in the recipe card but lets quickly go over the main ingredients as well as a few substitutions that I suggest.

• Pasta of choice – I used this fun spiral pasta but truly, anything you have or prefer will work great with this dish! Even a protein pasta would be satisfying!
• Ricotta – the star of the show! I like to use whole milk ricotta but whatever you have will work well.
• Parmesan – I ALWAYS prefer to freshly grate parmesan. Not only is it more cost effective but it only overall tastes and melts so much better than pre-shredded parmesan.
• Garlic – As little or as much as you’d like. I like at least 4 cloves in mine. Minimum:)
• Lemon – this is completely optional but I personally love the freshness that it adds to the recipe. As preferred, you can completely leave it out.
• Herbs – Worth keeping basil with this method but parsley or other fresh herbs also work well.

How to make Ricotta Cheese Pasta

Let’s go over how for this method. These are simply the basic steps and the FULL recipe is down in the recipe card!

1. Start out by cooking the pasta in salted water according to package directions. I used long fusilli pasta but genuinely anything that you prefer will work well!
   Even a good protein pasta would be great in this dish!
   Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water to add into the sauce later.

1. Saute the garlic in a little olive oil and after a few minutes, add in the remaining sauce ingredients including the ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice + zest, and a splash of pasta water.

1. Cook the sauce on low until the cheese is melted and everything is nice and creamy. The sauce will still be slightly grainy from the ricotta. Salt and pepper to taste and then toss in the pasta!

Expert Tips

• Save more pasta water than you think you need – ricotta can be THICK and you may want to thin your sauce out a bit.
• Whole-milk ricotta = creamier, part-skim = lighter.
• Don’t skip the parmesan! It adds saltiness + depth.
• Add lemon at the end for the freshest flavor. OR, you can skip it altogether.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage Instructions

Honestly, this method surely GO-TO enjoyed immediately, but if you have leftovers, here’s what I suggest doing with them:

• Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
• Not freezer-friendly (ricotta separates when frozen).