What’s inside: the perfect creamy and bright pasta for summer (or for whenever you’re craving fresh summer flavors), today’s Lemon Ricotta Pasta is a super simple pasta recipe that can be customized in many different ways – master it once and then make it your own!

Creamy Ricotta Pasta Recipe

This is the perfect pasta recipe for when you want a creamy, rich pasta with amazing flavor and either don’t have a jar of pasta sauce on hand or are tired of the same boring flavors offered at the grocery store.

Our lemon ricotta pasta recipe is creamy, cheesy, bright and just the right amount of salty, with a bit of kick from the pepper and garlic, and zesty acidity from the lemon. It comes together super quickly, making it one of those great recipes to have in your back pocket on a busy weeknight. (Seriously, we’re talking 20 minutes tops – including boiling the pasta water.)

It’s also a great recipe to add more protein to your family’s day without adding any meat – we all know how kids can go through phases where they practically go vegetarian, and one serving of this ricotta pasta offers 16-20g of protein (which you can increase by using a protein pasta or stirring in protein-rich veggies like peas).

Where I live, ricotta cheese can be insanely expensive so I’ve developed this homemade ricotta cheese recipe that is incredibly easy and budget-friendly. Even if ricotta is inexpensive where you live, this makes a great kitchen experiment to try with the kids.

This is a great recipe to teach older kids how to make independently, as if they gain confidence with this recipe, they can make small swaps to customized it the next time they make it. For example, they can use their favorite seasonings (ranch, Italian, taco, etc), add favorite pre-cooked proteins, toss in some veggies, etc.

Younger kids can still help out with almost every step of the process – from measuring ingredients to zesting lemons and stirring the ricotta cheese into the pasta.

— Jennifer

Ingredients

For your convenience, I’ve provided ad links to supplies used to make this recipe; see our disclosure policy here.

• Pasta, uncooked
• Olive Oil
• Minced Garlic
• Ricotta Cheese
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Lemon Zest
• Salt and Pepper

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: this recipe is endlessly customizable – you can leave out the lemon and use any favorite seasoning, add in proteins, veggies, etc.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Saucepan
• Colander
• Large Skillet
• Chef’s Knife
• Cheese Grater

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta

To Prep: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Before draining off the water, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to use as needed in the ricotta sauce.

1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
2. Once hot, add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the drained pasta and ricotta and a few tablespoons of the pasta water.
3. Cook and stir for 4 minutes until water is absorbed and ricotta coats the pasta evenly. Add additional pasta water as needed to prevent the ricotta from burning.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well and serve immediately.

Prep Tips

• Reserve pasta water before draining and add it gradually to control emulsification and prevent the ricotta from tightening or breaking.
• Use whole-milk ricotta for a smoother sauce and drain it briefly if it appears watery to improve it’s ability to stick to the pasta shells.
• Keep the heat at medium or lower once the ricotta is added to avoid graininess or scorching.
• Add ricotta in small portions rather than all at once to help it incorporate evenly with the pasta water.
• Zest the lemons directly over the finished pan so the oils stay aromatic and do not dull during prep time.
• Finish seasoning at the end, since Parmesan and reduced pasta water both contribute saltiness that builds as the sauce comes together.

More Perfect Pasta Recipes for the Whole Family

• Avocado Pasta Salad
• Cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole
• Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Lemon Miso Chicken Noodle Bowl
• Gluten-free Broccoli Alfredo

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)

If you tried this recipe and loved it too, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Pin this recipe on Pinterest

You might also like:

Bacon-Wrapped Mac and Cheese Bites

Crockpot Lasagna Dip