Lemon 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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This ricotta pasta is lemony, creamy, and fabulously herbaceous.
We love a creamy, cheesy pasta, but sometimes they leave you feeling weighed down and ugh.
This lemon ricotta pasta packs in all the creaminess you love, but it won’t leave you feeling uncomfortably full. (For another creamy pasta delight, check out Chicken Alfredo Bake).
It’s also incredibly quick and easy—because not every night is a night for Red Wine Braised Short Ribs! Lemon ricotta pasta makes weeknight meals a breeze, requiring just 20 minutes (including prep time!) and it all comes together in a single pot. Fewer dishes to wash is always a bonus, right?
Serve it as-is or load it up with your favorite veggies and dig in!
5 Star Review
“This recipe was SO good! My husband couldn’t get enough of it. We will definitely be making this again!”
— Katie —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Pasta. I used cavatappi, but shells, penne, or another pasta with ridged edges would also work well for lemon ricotta pasta.
- Ricotta. You’ll need whole milk ricotta for this recipe; let it come to room temperature.
- Parmesan. Adds some depth to the sauce, since ricotta has a mild flavor on its own.
- Garlic. Gives this dish just the right amount of zip.
- Red Pepper Flakes. Adds a little spark of heat.
- Lemon. Lends acidity to balance the creamy ricotta and brightens up the overall flavor of the dish.
- Basil and Dill. For fresh, herbaceous flavor. Don’t skip them!
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Boil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water.
Make the Ricotta Sauce. Add the ricotta, Parm, seasonings, and lemon juice and zest to the pot. Stir, then once the mixture is smooth, stir in a cup of the pasta water.
Combine. Add the pasta and herbs; stir to coat and add more of the reserved pasta water if needed.
Finish. Season to taste and serve with additional Parmesan and herbs. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Add Veggies. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, or add a few handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes. Steamed broccoli would be easy and delicious, and arugula or spinach 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 chicken.
What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Make this creamy ricotta pasta a meal by serving it with one of these accompaniments!
- Salad. Serve the 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 lemon ricotta pasta.
- Bread. No Knead Focaccia or Rosemary Olive Oil Bread are perfect pairings!
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta or similar short pasta with ridged edges like penne
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese at room temperature (must be whole milk; anything less with curdle)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional
- 2 cloves garlic grated or very finely minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for cooking the pasta
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper reduce to ¼ teaspoon to start if not freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 small lemon zest and juice
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil plus additional for serving
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill chives, or parsley, plus additional for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. SAVE 1 ½ CUPS OF THE PASTA COOKING LIQUID DON'T FORGET!!!! Drain the pasta and set aside.
- To the same pot you used to cook the pasta, add the ricotta, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Zest the lemon directly over the top, then squeeze and the juice. Stir to combine, then stir in 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Continue stirring until smooth.
- Add the drained pasta, basil, and remaining herbs. Stir gently until the pasta is coated and you have some sauce pooling at the bottom. If needed, turn the heat to low and rewarm slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning. I add a few more pinches of salt.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of additional Parmesan and herbs.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: This lemon 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.
- This recipe was updated and improved on 2/17/25. The original recipe also included a jar of drained and chopped roasted red peppers and a jar of artichoke hearts. Feel free to add these too!
Nutrition
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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!