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Zesty and creamy pasta made in 15 minutes! A definite quick and easy meal made with simple, fresh ingredients with delicious flavor and minimal effort. The pasta is the only thing you cook, which is the best part! A perfect spring dish, this recipe is fresh and light. Pair this with some roasted broccoli, grilled salmon, or some sauteed veggies!
I love simple and easy meals that don’t skimp on the flavors. This dish took no time at all, is easily economical, and is perfect for your carb cravings. The lemon gives this a nice bright element from the juice and zest. I recommend using fresh ricotta from a local Italian market, but you can use the typical ricotta cheese that you usually buy! To make this dish healthier and more filling, you can add spinach to this. Just add the spinach to the pasta pot and cook for a minute. Spinach takes no time at all to cook, so you have to watch it carefully.
How to make Lemon-Basil Ricotta Pasta
This elegant and bright pasta dish comes together in 15 minutes, which is the same time it’ll take to boil some pasta and heat up a jar of sauce. This no-cook ricotta sauce is made with only 5 ingredients and makes the pasta a creamy, zesty dream.
- Box of Pasta: I recommend penne, farfalle, linguine or spaghetti for this recipe. Those noodles pick up the sauce very well.
- Whole-Milk Ricotta Cheese: You can use ricotta that isn’t whole milk, but I highly recommend you use whole-milk ricotta. It brings a comforting texture to the dish.
- Fresh Basil
- Lemon Juice & Zest: Don’t skip out on the fresh lemon! You’ll need a lemon for the juice and zest. That squeezable lemon bottle just will not do.
- Olive Oil
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic
Boil the pasta according to the package directions. In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Once the pasta is done boiling, reserve some pasta water to mix with the ricotta sauce. Toss the pasta in the ricotta mixture and stir in the reserved pasta water. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!
Tips & FAQs
- You can substitute the pasta with whole-grain pasta if you are trying to get more natural fiber and micronutrients.
- Add some veggies to spruce up the pasta. You can add arugula and chives. Add siome spinach or broccoli. Maybe try chopped tomatoes or even sun-dried!
- Never rinse the pasta. Pasta has starches on it that will help thicken the sauce. You also want the pasta to stay hot before you toss it in the sauce.
- When serving this lemon ricotta pasta the next day, you may need to add milk or oil. This pasta dish will keep and make delicious leftovers. You can store for about 5 days in an air tight container. When reheating, stir in a splash of milk or cream, or even some olive oil if the sauce has dried up or been absorbed into the pasta.
- Really limited on time? Use ready to eat pasta! There’s tons of pouches in the pasta aisle where all you have to do is microwave and eat. All you need to do is microwave, whisk the ricotta sauce ingredients together and add a splash or two of milk. That’s all!
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Lemon-Basil Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta of choice
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 2 lemons, zest, and juice
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, and juice. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Stir until well combined.
- In the last minute of the pasta’s cooking time, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta once done.
- Add the ricotta sauce and part of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed, you want a smooth and creamy texture.
- Serve immediately and garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon wedges if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
364.72Fat (grams)
19.46Sat. Fat (grams)
9.52Carbs (grams)
30.54Fiber (grams)
2.18Net carbs
28.37Sugar (grams)
1.36Protein (grams)
17.58Sodium (milligrams)
345.48Cholesterol (grams)
52.74I did my best to research! Let me know if these are correct!
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