If that title didn’t catch your attention and you didn’t want to stop scrolling or streaming (or whatever kind of -ing), then you best be on your way. But before you move along, just take a gander at the recipe down below and the photos. Because lemon ricotta pasta is THE recipe you’ll want to make for company, yourself —even the MIL you’re trying to win over.
With all that in mind, let’s quickly review why you’d want to make this. One pan. Quick as in 10 minutes quick. This creamy pasta sauce defines SIMPLE.
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Make it alongside a juicy boneless pork roast for something a little more fancy or with some easy pan seared chicken breasts when time is short or you don’t want to turn on the oven.
Really…just one pot. Period.
You’ll cook the pasta in one stock pot and then use the same pot to saute some shallots before mixing the sauce in the same pot. Talk about an easy cleanup.
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Spotlight on ricotta cheese
When one ingredient is the star of the dish, I like to splurge a little if I can. Ricotta is no different.
If you’ve never tried making it at home, whipping up a creamy batch of homemade ricotta is shockingly simple and kind of fun—it’s fresh in a way the store-bought tubs just can’t match.
That said, don’t skip the deli counter. Ricotta from the deli case is fresher and usually creamier than what’s in the refrigerated section.
Other ricotta options:
- Whole milk or part-skim ricotta. Whole milk is my go-to —it’s richer and makes the creamiest sauce. If part-skim is what you’ve got, go for it. Your sauce will still be great!
- Ricotta con latte. Think of this as ricotta with a little bonus creaminess thanks to extra milk or cream mixed in. Less dry, more luscious and a perfectly acceptable choice for ricotta with lemon sauce.
What makes this lemon ricotta sauce different
My recipe differs from others that boast a no cook lemon ricotta sauce in that it has shallots in it. Yes, you can skip this step, but I find the shallot adds so much flavor and takes so little time.
Step by step: ricotta cream sauce
Extra recipe thoughts
Add in some chopped basil right as you stir the sauce together for another burst of freshness.
The pasta water is critical to the success of this lemon ricotta sauce. There is a ton of flavor already thanks to the shallot, seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Don’t be afraid of adding more water to thin the sauce.
You’ll see that my finished dish photos do not show the sauce being super smooth (not my best planning) . I suggest reserving more water than you think you’ll need!
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One Pan Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta
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Ingredients
- ½ lb long fusilli pasta, sometimes called fusilli buco; cavatappi or any long strand pasta works too
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta, or homemade ricotta; room temperature
- 2 cups Romano cheese, grated
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp kosher salt, to start, plus more for shallots
- ½ tsp ground black pepper, plus more for shallots
- ½ cup fresh basil
Instructions
- Boil water for pasta. Salt the water generously and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.½ lb long fusilli pasta
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta and set aside.
- Return the same pot to medium heat and heat the olive oil. Once heated and shimmering, saute the diced shallots, seasoning a bit with a pinch of salt and pepper.1 T olive oil, 1 shallot minced, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ricotta. Keep stirring while adding in the pasta water a little at a time to make a thick creamy sauce. Use about half of the water as needed.15 oz. whole milk ricotta
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, whisking until incorporated.Add in the lemon juice and zest. Season with remaining salt and pepper.2 cups Romano cheese, 1 lemon
- Toss the pasta and basil in the pan with the sauce and add more pasta water if needed. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and big cracks of black pepper.½ cup fresh basil
