Veggie-packed Ricotta Pasta is a quick and easy dinner recipe that will become your savior on busy weeknights. It’s creamy, satisfying, and ready to eat in just 20 minutes!

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Why You’ll Love This Creamy Ricotta Cheese Pasta Recipe
- Quick and Easy. Because not every night is a night for Red Wine Braised Short Ribs! This 20-minute ricotta pasta makes weeknight meals a breeze and it all comes together in a single pot (like these other One Pot Meals).
- Creamy But Not Heavy. We love a creamy, cheesy pasta, but sometimes they leave you feeling weighed down and ugh. Ricotta pasta packs in all that creaminess, but it won’t leave you feeling uncomfortably full. (For another creamy pasta delight, check out Chicken Alfredo Bake).
- Packed With Veggies. To make this ricotta cheese pasta dish more satisfying, we pack in LOTS of veggies. I use artichokes, red peppers, and spinach, but feel free to use this recipe to clean out your crisper drawer!

5 Star Review
“This recipe was SO good! My husband couldn’t get enough of it. We will definitely be making this again!”
— Katie —
How to Make Ricotta Pasta
The Ingredients
- Pasta. Whole wheat pasta lends a subtle nuttiness to this dish. Shells, rigatoni, or ziti would all be equally fantastic, but I don’t recommend spaghetti or long pasta.
- Frozen Artichokes. While canned or marinated artichoke hearts are great for recipes like this Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese, I love using frozen artichokes here. If you can’t find them, canned artichokes work too.
- Ricotta. I always reach for part-skim ricotta, but you could opt for low fat or whole milk ricotta if you prefer. Just don’t use fat-free. It lacks the flavor and richness this creamy ricotta pasta demands.
- White Wine Vinegar. Lends a little acidity to balance the creamy ricotta. If you don’t keep white wine vinegar stocked in your pantry, you may swap for white balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar, or lemon juice.
- Roasted Red Peppers. Pair perfectly with the artichokes and make this dish taste like it’s straight from the Mediterranean (like this Italian Farro Salad).
- Capers. For a touch of salty, briny Italian flavor (as in this Italian Tuna Salad). Don’t have capers on hand? Try swapping for an equal amount of finely chopped green olives (Castelvetrano olives are my personal favorite).
- Garlic + Dijon Mustard. Gives this dish just the right amount of zip.
- Red Pepper Flakes. Adds a little spark of heat.
- Parsley. For freshness and color. You can use fresh basil leaves instead if you prefer.
- Parmesan. To finish this easy pasta dish with a final flourish of cheese because more cheese is always good when it involves pasta (e.g. Italian Mac and Cheese).
The Directions

- Boil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta and frozen artichokes until tender.

- Drain. Drain and return the pasta and artichokes to the pot.

- Make the Ricotta Sauce. Stir or whisk together the ricotta mixture.

- Combine. Add the ricotta to the pasta.

- Finish. Toss in the remaining ingredients. Stir and serve with Parmesan. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the ricotta mixture. Swap the vinegar for lemon juice. Squeeze lemon juice over the top if desired.
- Add Other Veggies. Stir in 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, or add a few handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes. Steamed broccoli would be easy and delicious, and arugula would be even easier!
- Give It a Protein Boost. Sauté 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp with olive oil and garlic and stir into the pasta at the end. Or, stir in 1 cup of cooked shredded rotisserie chicken.
Storage Tips
If you are preparing this recipe with plans to freeze it, I recommend undercooking the pasta slightly. This will help the pasta not become mushy or overcooked once thawed and reheated.

What to Serve with Ricotta Pasta
- Salad. Serve creamy ricotta pasta with a simple Arugula Salad on the side, or pair it with a more substantive Italian Chopped Salad.
- Protein. Add Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Chicken Meatballs to give this pasta dish an extra protein boost.
- Roasted Vegetables. Roasted Frozen Broccoli, Roasted Zucchini, and Roasted Tomatoes would all be delicious served alongside or stirred into this ricotta cheese pasta.
- Bread. No Knead Focaccia or Rosemary Olive Oil Bread are perfect pairings with pasta!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Using Canned Artichokes. I buy frozen artichokes at Trader Joe’s but you can typically find them at most grocery stores in the frozen vegetables aisle. In a pinch, you could swap for canned or jarred artichoke hearts (packed in water NOT oil). If you make this swap, add them at the end with the roasted red peppers rather than with the boiling pasta.
- Don’t Reserve the Pasta Water. Sometimes when making pasta you will see that a recipe calls for reserved pasta water. This helps keep your pasta moist and creamy. No need to keep the starchy pasta water for this recipe the ricotta does all of the work for you.
- Make It Your Own. This is a recipe that’s easy to customize with seasonal produce, your favorite herbs and spices, and different proteins. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit!

Ricotta Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) package whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 (9-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts thawed
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (OK to substitute low fat or even whole milk ricotta, but do not use fat free)
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar white balsamic vinegar, or champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (12-ounce jar) roasted red bell peppers drained and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. With 2 minutes remaining in the pasta cook time, add artichoke hearts.
- Drain, then return the artichokes and pasta to the pot.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil, mustard, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the ricotta cheese mixture over pasta.
- Add sliced red peppers, capers, and parsley. Stir pasta gently to coat. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: This healthy ricotta pasta may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Leftover ricotta pasta may be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- TO REHEAT: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat, in a covered pot with a lid, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Alternatively, you may also microwave until steaming.
Nutrition
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Try one of these other healthy, vegetarian pasta recipes perfect for busy weeknights.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen frozen artichoke hearts…huh! Must find because this is a must make! :)
Hey Nicole! I buy mine at Trader Joe’s, but I see them called for in a variety of recipes, so I think they are fairly available. Maybe just keep an eye out in the freezer section?
This recipe was SO good! My husband couldn’t get enough of it and his Italian roots were going crazy for the ricotta. We added a side of chicken because the hubby HAS to have meat at all meals, and it was delicious. We will definitely be making this again!
Katie, I’m so, so excited to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe! Appealing to someone’s Italian roots is just about the best compliment I could wish for :) Thanks for taking time to share your review, and again I’m so thrilled you liked it!
Dear Erin, This looks like such a wonderful meal. Pinning! xo, Catherine
As always your recipes are spot on! Loved this a lot, I ended up adding more garlic but that’s just me. This is the third recipe of yours I’ve made and can’t wait to try the rest!
This makes my day! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes so far, and I hope you love the next one too. Thank you!
This looks absolutely delicious, and I am lucky to have some ricotta cheese in the fridge leftover from making a lasagna a couple days ago – YAY! Unfortunately I don’t have any vinegar. Do you think I could omit it? Or are there any substitutions that might work for this dish?
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you like the look of this recipe. The idea of the vinegar is to give the dish some acidity. I think a great substitution it would be fresh squeezed lemon juice. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it!
The saving grace of Saturday night dinner! Today was honestly option (a) procrastination, but I still made a healthy meal thanks to your recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand (canned instead of frozen artichokes, dried instead of fresh parsley, spirals instead of penne pasta). My boyfriend and I enjoyed it very much. I always trust your spices, and he particularly liked the crushed red pepper flakes.
Amy, I’m always so happy to know that you enjoy my recipes. Thanks for trying this one and reporting back!
Excited to try this one! Have you ever made it with any meat protein added? Trying to decide what to accompany it with… grilled chicken maybe?
Hi Courtney, I think a side of grilled chicken would be delicious!
I love this recipe! I used gluten free penne and portioned it out for 5 lunches over the course of a week. The ricotta and artichoke combo is soooo creamy and feels indulgent while being nutritious and filling. Definitely making this again!
Hi Whitney! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Fantastic, quick, easy, and most definitely yummy! Full disclosure, I couldn’t stop trying tastes of the ricotta cheese mixture while I waited for the pasta to cook 😍 I could not find frozen artichokes so I used about 6oz of frozen chopped kale, came out yummy! Next time I’ll try for the artichokes.
Hi Kirsty! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
i liked the idea of a relatively low fat healthy pasta but found this to be grainy and bland. Not a keeper for us.
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t to your tastes, Charrington. I (and many other readers) have truly enjoyed it, so I wish you would’ve too!
I just loved this recipe! I’m excited to try different variations – adding chicken or even salmon would be great and I think the sun dried tomatoes would be on point!
Hi Heide! So glad you enjoyed the pasta! Thank you for this kind review!