Pasta with ricotta and lemon is one of the most popular quick and easy pasta recipes.
It's delicious in its simplicity and refined. You can make it in a very short time; just the time it takes to cook the pasta! I choose bucatini, but of course you can choose the pasta you prefer, short or long.
It's a creamy and delicate pasta dish that combines the creaminess of ricotta with the flavor of lemon zest, fresh basil and black pepper.You can make it with cow's ricotta or sheep's ricotta, which is definitely more flavorful.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the lemon ricotta sauce, completely uncooked! The dish is ready in 15 minutes!
This is a very simple recipe which, as we shall see, can be varied in many ways, simply by adding or removing ingredients according to taste. Just keep the lemon and the ricotta!
Ricotta is a precious and widely used ingredient in Italian cuisine. It is suitable for the preparation of many traditional dishes, both sweet and savory. For example, ricotta gnocchi, ravioli fillings, various types of cakes, lemon ricotta cookies and the very famous Sicilian cannoli.
The key to the success of the dish is that the ricotta is fresh and of excellent quality. Few ingredients and a really simple execution for a delicious dish!
Try this pasta with ricotta and lemon. Your guests will love it!
Ingredients
- Prep Time: 5 Min
- Cook Time: 8-10 Min
- Servings: 4
- 350 g (¾ pound) of bucatini pasta or the pasta you like, long or short
- 250 g (~9 oz) of ricotta cheese
- 100 g (~1 cup) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- the zest of ½ untreated lemon
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- ~10 leaves of fresh basil
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Step 1) - Making pasta with ricotta and lemon is really easy. And quick! The great thing about this recipe is that you can make the lemon ricotta sauce while the pasta is cooking!
First, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it boils, add the necessary amount of salt. Then add the pasta and while it's cooking, prepare the sauce. Depending on the thickness of the pasta and the brand, you can expect the pasta to cook anywhere from 8 to 14 minutes.
Step 2) - Place the fresh ricotta in a large bowl. You will be tossing the pasta in this bowl, so it needs to be quite large. Then add the grated Parmigiano cheese. Mix these ingredients together. Lastly, add the extra virgin olive oil.
Step 3) - Add the grated lemon zest and fresh basil chopped with your hands. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
Step 4) - Drain the pasta al dente directly into the bowl with the ricotta and lemon sauce. Mix well, adding a little cooking water, just enough to make a creamy sauce.
Transfer the pasta with ricotta and lemon to serving plates and add a drizzle of oil. Decorate with a few basil leaves, a little pepper and more lemon zest.
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
Storage
It's best to eat the Lemon Ricotta Pasta as soon as it's ready. However, if you have leftovers, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Freezing is not recommended.
Tips
- COOKING WATER: The secret to achieving a creamy consistency is to add a little of the starchy pasta cooking water. Be careful not to overdo it, lest the sauce become too liquid.
- CREAM: Some people add heavy cream to make the sauce creamier.
Substitutes
- RICOTTA: I used cow's ricotta, but if you prefer a more intense flavor, you can use sheep's or buffalo ricotta. The important thing is that the ricotta is very fresh, better if it's drained in a fine-mesh sieve before proceeding with the recipe to remove any excess whey.
- CHEESE: You can substitute grated Parmigiano cheese with Pecorino Romano.
- PASTA: I used bucatini, but you can use any pasta shape you prefer. Short pasta such as penne, fusilli, farfalle, mezze maniche or caserecce also work well with the Lemon Ricotta Cream.
- HERBS: Instead of basil, you can use other herbs of your choice, such as mint or oregano for example.
Recipe Card
Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
Ingredients
- 350 g pasta ¾ pound, bucatini or the pasta you like, long or short
- 250 g ricotta cheese ~9 oz
- 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano ~1 cup, grated
- ½ lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- fresh basil ~10 leaves
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it boils, add the necessary amount of salt. Then add the pasta and while it's cooking, prepare the sauce.
- Place the fresh ricotta in a large bowl. You will be tossing the pasta in this bowl, so it needs to be quite large. Then add the grated Parmigiano cheese. Mix these ingredients together. Lastly, add the extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the grated lemon zest and fresh basil chopped with your hands. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- Drain the pasta al dente directly into the bowl with the ricotta and lemon sauce. Mix well, adding a little cooking water, just enough to make a creamy sauce.
- Transfer the pasta with ricotta and lemon to serving plates and add a drizzle of oil. Decorate with a few basil leaves, a little pepper and more lemon zest.
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