Name: Pesto Ricotta Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta; 1 lemon (zest and juice); 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese; 2 garlic cloves; salt and black pepper (to taste); 1/2 cup pesto

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This Pesto Ricotta Pasta mixes whipped ricotta cheese, zesty lemon, and basil pesto with al dente pasta for a super simple 10 minute pasta dish.

If you are looking for an easy but flavorful pasta dish, look no further. This dish features angel hair pasta that is tossed with a whipped ricotta pesto sauce.

What is whipped ricotta sauce? I’m so glad you asked! Ricotta is a popular italian soft cheese that is used in dishes like lasagna and ravioli as a pasta filling. I love it in sauces as well, but find it can be a little grainy. So to combat that, I used a blender to “whip” it along with other flavorful ingredients to create a smooth, creamy, and light in texture sauce that coats the pasta perfectly.

This ricotta pesto pasta works great as a lunch or a light dinner. It would be super tasty paired with grilled chicken, salmon, or reader favorite parmesan crusted chicken romano. For an elevated pairing, try Pesto Chicken Parmesan.

What You'll Need

Pasta: I used angel hair, but truly any pasta shape would work. Use your favorite.
Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese: Ricotta is made from the dairy by-product when other cow's milk cheeses are made. Because of this, it doesn't get as smooth as some cheese sauces do without an extra step. Don't worry, the flavor is stellar and when we whip it in the blender, it becomes smooth as silk.
Pesto: You can use homemade or store bought pesto.
Fresh Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Don't skimp on the zest, it holds a lot of flavor.
Garlic: There’s a special trick in this recipe that I like to utilize whenever raw garlic is used in a recipe. Chop up the garlic and let it sit in the lemon juice a minute or two for the flavor to mellow out. The acid in the lemon juice helps break down the garlic compounds that make it pungent.
Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.

How to make Pesto and Ricotta Pasta

Step 1. Cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Once pasta is finished cooking, reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water in a cup to the side before draining the pasta.

In your blender (or food processor) , add salt, pepper, lemon juice, zest, and chopped garlic. Let sit for 1-2 minutes to mellow out.

Step 2. Add ricotta. Pulse on high for 1 minute. Texture should be smooth and light.

Step 3. To a large deep skillet, add pasta water, cooked pasta, and pesto. Allow to simmer on medium low for 3-4 minutes to allow the pasta to soak up the sauce and thicken up a bit.

Step 4. Add ricotta mixture to the pan and stir to incorporate. Remove for heat and serve.

Variations/Substitutions

Try it with cream cheese. If you would like an alternative, try replacing the ricotta cheese with ½ cup of cream cheese or ½ cup of mascarpone cheese.

Add herbs or spinach: The spinach wilts nicely in the hot pasta without even having to "cook" it. The heat from the pasta is enough if you add it right at the end. You can also add a handful of fresh parsley or fresh basil.

Storage

Store any pasta leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. This ricotta and pesto pasta can be enjoyed cold straight from the fridge or reheated in the microwave.

More Dishes with Pesto

If you try this Pesto Ricotta Pasta please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.