One Pot Pasta and Ricotta and Lemon
This zesty and light One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon is made from plain ingredients and is suited to weeknight dinners. In under 20 minutes, you’ll have a satisfying pasta dish with minimal effort and fewer dishes.
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One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Cooked pasta is combined with a creamy ricotta mixture and fresh lemon juice for an affordable dinner that’s great any night of the week.
On weeknights, most of us need straightforward recipes with little to no clean-up. Any time we can skip dishes is fine by us. (If only someone could figure out laundry, too…)
We love one pot pasta recipes like Taco Pasta And Chicken Alfredo Because they are straightforward, can be made in one pot, and make cleaning up after dinner so much easier. A one pot recipe is great when you’re short on time.
One of our favorites is this Ricotta and Lemon Pasta. It’s creamy with a hint of zesty lemon and it totally hits the spot.
This ricotta pasta is the well-balanced meal for wintertime, but it’s so light and bright, it works for summertime too. If you love that lemon flavor, you’ll probably also love this Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta And these Straightforward Lemon Bars.
Why you will come back to this Pasta with Ricotta Cheese
This straightforward pasta recipe with the creamiest lemon ricotta pasta sauce is going to be one of your new favorite recipes.
It’s an straightforward weeknight supper with a satisfying creamy sauce. The lemon ricotta sauce gives a house favorite flavor and you only need a handful of ingredients.
- It’s straightforward and it’s ready in 20 minutes! Most of the cooking time is while the pasta cooks.
- One pot means fewer dishes. You don’t even need a colander. Win-win!
- It’s made with plain, every day and budget-friendly ingredients.
You won’t be cooking the pasta according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted water. The pasta cooks in lemon, broth, and spices for ultimate flavor.
With these bright flavors, no one will notice that this is a meatless, vegetarian pasta recipe, but you can totally top it with chicken, shrimp, or tofu if you’d like to add some protein.
This satisfying one-pot pasta makes a great meatless weeknight supper the whole family will love.
Ingredients for Pasta with Ricotta
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy ricotta pasta:
- Cavatappi pasta – any similar type of pasta will work great. Bow tie and fusilli pasta would both work well.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon is key. Lemon zest and juice are both used.
- Minced garlic – You can mince your own or buy the pre-minced kind
- Coarse salt & ground black pepper
- Broth – Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish. Otherwise, chicken broth works.
- Whole milk ricotta cheese – Don’t substitute this for part-skim or fat-free — trust us! You want the creamy ricotta cheese.
- Heavy cream
- Grated parmesan
- Baby spinach – Totally optional but a great way to get in some greens!
The sweeter Meyer lemon is a great substitute for a less sour version of this dish, but use fresh not bottled if possible — it does make a difference! Plus, we want that lemon zest for this dish too.
We eat meat at our house, so it doesn’t bother us to use parmesan (which Isn’t vegetarian). However, if you need a truly vegetarian meal, skip the parmesan and sprinkle it with your favorite cheese or a cheese alternative like nutritional yeast.
Brands of ricotta cheese
Different ricotta cheese brands will have different textures. Some will be grainier and chalkier in texture, while others will be smooth and creamy.
If your ricotta is grainy, that’s okay. It has to do with the way it is made from fine curds.
We recommend trying different brands of ricotta cheese until you find the taste and texture you like best.
Our favorite ricotta cheese to use is Miceli’s, but we also like Cappiello as well! We find that they are smoother and a touch sweeter than others. We can eat them straight out of the container with a spoon!
Tools you’ll need for this Ricotta Cheese Pasta
Enamel cast iron dutch oven
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Measuring cups
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Liquid measuring cups
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Zester
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How to make Pasta with Ricotta Cheese
This satisfying pasta with bright lemon flavors is straightforward! Here’s how to cook it:
- Get out a heavy-bottomed pot, and add the uncooked pasta, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, broth, pepper, and garlic over medium-high heat. (we like to use an enamel cast iron dutch oven.)
- Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. You want the pasta al dente and not too soft.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir in the spinach if using. Once the spinach has wilted, stir in the ricotta and heavy cream.
- Top with parmesan cheese and your favorite proteins and toppings, if desired!
Add the uncooked pasta, lemon juice, lemon zest, broth, salt, and pepper to a heavy-bottomed pot.
Add in the spinach (if using) and stir.
Once the spinach has wilted, stir in the ricotta and heavy cream.
One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon tips
Real lemon makes a big difference, especially because you can add lemon zest. The bottled lemon concentrate doesn’t compare, but it can be used in a pinch.
Be careful not to zest too strongly on the lemons — you only want the yellow skin, not the bitter white pith underneath. We like this zester.
For a sweeter and less tart lemon flavor, use Meyer lemons rather than regular lemons.
Use whole milk ricotta, not part-skim ricotta or low-fat ricotta. The real deal is a house favorite way to get a creamy result in this pasta sauce.
What to serve with Ricotta Pasta
This pasta works well as the main meal or as a side to roasted chicken, shrimp, or salmon. Try one of these recipes:
For other side dishes, a great veggie dish would be Garlic butter asparagus Or Roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
But whatever you decide on: Don’t forget the Garlic bread!
Ricotta Lemon Pasta toppings
This pasta is so good on its own, but you are welcome to top it with your favorite protein and other toppings. Here are a few ideas to add some extra flavor:
- Roasted chicken
- Shrimp
- Fresh basil
- Spinach
- Peas
- Red pepper flakes
- Hot sauce
- Arugula
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Chopped parsley
- Fresh herbs
How to store Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
To reheat, add it to a skillet with a splash of milk, water, broth, or cream to reinvigorate the sauce. You can also pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
We do not recommend freezing or preparing in advance since the sauce contains dairy.
Pasta with Ricotta FAQs
Recipes using ricotta cheese
Prep 5 minutesCook 15 minutesMakes 8
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cavatappi pasta or similar shape
- 1 lemon you’ll need the juice and zest
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 4 cups broth vegetable or chicken
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup parmesan grated
- baby spinach optional
Method
- Add the uncooked pasta, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, garlic, and broth to a heavy-bottomed pot. We like to use an enamel cast iron dutch oven .
- Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir in the spinach if using. Once the spinach has wilted, stir in the ricotta and heavy cream.
- Top with parmesan cheese. Serve with lemon slices to squeeze over the pasta for more lemon flavor.
Notes
- For a sweeter (less sour) lemon taste, use Meyer lemons
- Use whole milk ricotta – it’s a house favorite way to get a creamy result
- Careful not to zest too hard on the lemons, you only want the yellow skin
