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Pesto ricotta pasta served on a red plate.
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Pesto ricotta pasta

Creamy, herby, and delicious, this pesto ricotta pasta is the ultimate comfort meal. It comes together in less than 20 minutes with just 7 simple ingredients that includes salt, pepper, and olive oil. The fresh basil pesto in the sauce swirls with smooth creamy ricotta cheese to coat every strand in a velvety, flavorful sauce, making this simple dish irresistible.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 721kcal
Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

  • 1 Large cooking pot
  • 1 Large strainer
  • 1 stand blender or food processor
  • 1 Spatula
  • 1 large bowl
  • Lemon peeler/ regular peeler/sharp knife

Ingredients

  • 350 grams uncooked pasta of choice
  • 1 cup pesto
  • 1.25 cups ricotta cheese around 250 grams
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Peel of 1 large lemon very finely chopped
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Boil water with some salt in a large pot. Add pasta and cook al dente following the package instructions.
  • Put pesto, ricotta cheese, finely chopped lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a blending jar or food processor. Blend to make a smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick add some pasta water or milk to adjust the consistency.
  • Transfer some sauce to a large bowl, add cooked pasta, and pour the remaining sauce on top.
  • Gently toss until the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
  • Sprinkle some crushed pepper and drizzle olive oil on top.

Video

Notes

  1. Cook pasta al dente following the package instructions. Overcooked pasta spoils the dish.
  2. Both homemade and store bought pesto are fine to be used in this recipe. 
  3. Toss the pasta with pesto and ricotta after removing it from direct heat. High heat can make ricotta grainy and dull the fresh basil flavor.
  4. You may add some red pepper flakes to the sauce to add a little kick.
  5. Add salt carefully as pesto also has salt in it.
  6. Always reserve pasta water when straining cooked pasta. Use this starchy pasta water or milk to adjust the consistency of the pasta sauce.
  7. Instead of ricotta cheese cream cheese or cottage cheese can also be used in this recipe.
  8. More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 721kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 666mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1250IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 2mg