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This Pesto Ricotta Pasta Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Citrusy
- Creamy
- Packed with Flavor
- Loaded with protein
- An awesome way to use extra ricotta: you can use store bought ricotta, or a vegan ricotta too!
What’s In This Ricotta Pesto Pasta Recipe?
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Spaghetti – I used delicious spaghetti for my pasta, which is one of my favorite long-noodle shapes.
- Pesto – a delicious sauce with fresh basil.
- Ricotta Cheese – this creamy and irresistible ricotta cheese is a fantastic base layer for this toast! I’ll also include a vegan version in the recipe card below if you don’t eat dairy… but if you DO eat dairy I’d highly recommend this delicious whole milk ricotta.
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Garlic Powder: Also a major pantry staple ingredient that gets used in our house daily! I love this garlic powder and add it to a lot of recipes that I would use fresh garlic in too.
- Black pepper
One Pot Pesto Pasta For the Win!
This ricotta pesto pasta recipe is the perfect one-pot lunch or dinner! I love a good One Pot Meal, especially during these summer months when I don’t want a lot of burners going at once. Cooking everything in one pot is one of my favorite ways to get a meal on the table fast! And one pot makes cleaning up a breeze.
The stove does all the work for you, so you can focus on other kitchen prep while the food cooks. One Pot meals are awesome for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – check out my link here to see other one pot meals that are ready in no time!
How Do I Make Pesto Pasta with Ricotta Cheese?
- Cook the Pasta. I used linguine, but whatever pasta shape you choose to use, just cook it to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water to use later in the sauce. Drain the rest of the water, and set pasta aside.
- Place the pot with the drained pasta back on the stove and simmer over low heat. To the drained pasta, add the ricotta, pesto, parsley, and lemon juice. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to thin the sauce as desired. Add more water if you want a thinner sauce. Add salt and pepper and chili flakes.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with garlic knots and a side salad.
This ricotta pasta also uses the trick of thickening a sauce with pasta water. I always do this with my pesto sauces too: add a ladle full of the cooking water from the pasta (make sure you don’t drain it all!) to the sauce, and the pasta will become thick, luscious, and decadent.
More Easy Vegetarian Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Mozzarella Alfredo Sauce Recipe (Vegetarian)
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian)
One Pot Vegan Alfredo Pasta Recipe (Vegetarian Option)
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe (Vegan)
Sheet Pan Pasta Bake with Mozzarella and Lemon (Vegetarian)
Dietary Modifications
To make this recipe gluten free, ensure all ingredients you are using are certified gluten free (including the pasta and any pre-made pesto), and always check the labels of ingredients before using.
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Pesto Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine use gluten free if needed, reserve 2 cups cooking water
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup pesto see note below for 5-minute pesto recipes!
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 2/3 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta. I used linguine, but whatever pasta shape you choose to use, just cook it to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water to use later in the sauce. Drain the rest of the water, and set pasta aside.
- Place the pot with the drained pasta back on the stove and simmer over low heat. To the drained pasta, add the ricotta, pesto, parsley, and lemon juice. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to thin the sauce as desired. Add more water if you want a thinner sauce. Add salt and pepper and chili flakes.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with garlic knots and a side salad.
Notes
5-Minute Pesto Recipes
For this recipe you can use homemade or store-bought pesto. Here are a few of my favorite pesto recipes that I have on this site! Kale Pesto with Walnuts Pasta Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free) Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recipe Honey Walnut Pesto Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegetarian) Beet Green Pesto Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free) Balsamic Pesto Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)Nutrition
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With two of my favorite ingredients that is PASTA and RICOTTA cheese, I was WOWED by this dish. Variations on a pasta recipe I love