Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Under 10 Minutes!)
This Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Under 10 Minutes!) is a simple to make pasta recipe. Each bite is full of creamy ricotta and vibrant lemon flavors. Ready in the time it takes to make the pasta! A delicious vegetarian dish to enjoy any night of the week!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound farfalle pasta or any other short pasta
- salt for pasta water
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tsp lemon zest and juice I used 1 large organic
- 1 cup whole fat ricotta
- sea salt for sprinkling
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup finely shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley chopped (not the stems)
Instructions
- Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the pasta.
- Cook pasta: Add pasta to the boiling cooking water. Set a timer, and cook the pasta making sure it's not quite al dente (so about 1 minute less than the cooking time, because you'll be combining in the skillet with the browned butter + lemon sauce and heating together and it will cook a little more).
- Make the sauce: When there is a few minutes left of pasta cooking time, prep the browned butter sauce. In a large skillet on medium heat, add the butter. Let it melt and start to brown. When the butter is browned add in the lemon juice and zest. Add in a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Reserve pasta water: Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup plus 2 extra tablespoons of the pasta water. Add in ½ cup of starchy pasta water to the skillet with browned butter.
- Add pasta to sauce: Dump the pasta into the skillet on medium-high heat and stir to combine with the browned butter lemon sauce. Combine it together for about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't overcook, it should reach al dente texture).
- Prep ricotta in a bowl: In a large serving bowl, add the ricotta and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano (pecorino also works). Stir it together and add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a dash of salt. Add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water to help the ricotta sauce bind with the pasta.
- Combine ricotta with pasta: Add the pasta in the buttery lemon sauce to the bowl with the ricotta cheese. Stir it all together to combine. You should have a creamy ricotta sauce. Add a little more pasta water or olive oil, if needed.
- Season: Check the salt (add more if needed), and add some freshly ground pepper.
- Serve: When serving in the bowls, sprinkle on some chopped Italian parsley and a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional). Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 346IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg