• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pina Bresciani
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Pasta

    Easiest Ever Creamy Ricotta Pasta - Work From Home Lunch Series

    4.7 from 60 votes

    By Pina Bresciani ⁠— May 28, 2021 — 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This creamy 5-ingredient ricotta pasta is one of the easiest pastas you'll ever make! In fact, the sauce comes together in less than 5 minutes, how much more perfect can that be?

    This is a recipe my mom has been making forever. In fact, it's a dish that her grandpa used to eat. Every time she would make this recipe, I would get so excited because it's one of my favorites.

    Ricotta pasta in a plate with a fork and napkin to the side

    To make it, ricotta is warmed up slightly in a touch of olive oil, the cooked pasta is added along with pasta water to make it creamy, and parmigiano reggiano for a bit of bite! So easy, so simple and flavorful!

    This ricotta pasta is part of the work from home pasta lunch series where I show you easy pasta dishes that you can make on your lunch break in 20 minutes or less.

    Ricotta pasta in a dish with 2 wine glasses in the background

    How to make ricotta pasta - step by step

    Bring a pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add salt. Throw the pasta in and cook until it's al dente. Be sure to reserve some pasta water.

    5-7 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic clove. Swirl it around in the olive oil to give it a slight garlic flavor (photo 1), and remove it when it starts to sizzle, a few minutes.

    Add the ricotta to the pan, and heat it slightly, until it melts down and becomes creamy, 2-3 minutes (photo 2) If the pasta isn't cooked yet, turn the heat down to low.

    Add the pasta to the ricotta (photo 3) and still over medium heat, mix the pasta in with the ricotta.

    Add a bit of pasta water to help emulsify the dish, and make it even creamier (photo 4)

    Add parmigiano reggiano and mix again (photo 5) Add pasta water if needed.

    Plate and enjoy! (photo 6)

    More easy pasta recipes

    • Sun Dried Tomato Spaghetti
    • Pancetta and Zucchini Pasta
    • Tuna Spaghetti

    If you’ve tried making this Ricotta pasta, or any other recipe on the blog, please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.

    Recipe

    Print Pin
    4.67 from 60 votes

    Creamy Ricotta Pasta

    This creamy 5-ingredient ricotta pasta is one of the easiest pastas you'll ever make! In fact, the sauce comes together in less than 5 minutes, how much more perfect can that be?
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
    Servings 1 person
    Calories 859kcal
    Author Pina Bresciani

    Ingredients

    • 100 grams rigatoni pasta
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • 1 garlic clove
    • ¾ cups ricotta
    • 2 tablespoon parmigiano reggiano
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Bring a pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add salt. Throw the pasta in and cook until it's al dente. Be sure to reserve some pasta water.
    • 5-7 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic clove. Swirl it around in the olive oil to give it a slight garlic flavor, and remove it when it starts to sizzle, a few minutes.
    • Add the ricotta to the pan, and heat it slightly, until it melts down and becomes creamy, 2-3 minutes. If the pasta isn't cooked yet, turn the heat down to low.
    • Add the pasta to the ricotta, and still over medium heat, mix the pasta in with the ricotta.
    • Add a bit of pasta water to help emulsify the dish, and make it even creamier. Add parmigiano reggiano and mix again. Add pasta water if needed.
    • Plate and enjoy!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe Notes

    • I used rigatoni in this dish but you can use any pasta you'd like - penne would work well or even a long pasta like spaghetti
    • I remove the garlic from the oil to produce a subtle garlic flavor, but if you prefer a stronger garlic flavor you can mince the garlic clove, and keep it in the dish.
    • If the ricotta you're using has a lot of liquid in it, drain it first.
    Nutrition Facts
    Creamy Ricotta Pasta
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 859 Calories from Fat 378
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 42g65%
    Saturated Fat 19g119%
    Cholesterol 101mg34%
    Sodium 322mg14%
    Potassium 438mg13%
    Carbohydrates 82g27%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 38g76%
    Vitamin A 899IU18%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 527mg53%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    More Pasta

    • Italian pasta and potatoes in a bowl with a spoon
      Italian Pasta with Potatoes (Pasta e Patate)
    • Italian pea and pasta soup in a bowl with a spoon
      Pasta e Piselli (Italian Peas and Pasta Recipe)
    • Pasta with tomato sauce, olives and capers in a bowl with a fork
      25-Minute Vesuviana Pasta
    • Butternut squash-stuffed shells in a baking dish
      Butternut Nut Squash-Stuffed Shells with Guanciale
    7.0K shares
    • X
    • Facebook

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.67 from 60 votes (59 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Robyn says

      April 04, 2024 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      I did not even notice the title was “work from home series” until I’d made this a few times, but I actually do work from home and have the luxury of cooking my lunch, but don’t necessarily have an hour to spend. This is perfect - easy, quick, works up great for one person. I love using ricotta to make a creamy but lower calorie (and lower effort) sauce for pasta and this one works so well. Sometimes I’ll use goat cheese to mix in if I have any, but either way, this is a go-to lunch for myself!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello!

    My name is Pina and I love Italian food and culture! Here you'll find delicious Italian-inspired recipes with a fresh west coast spin. Buon Appetito! About Me

    Popular

    • Bowl of authentic cacio e pepe
      How To Make An Authentic Cacio e Pepe Like A Roman
    • Delicious Prosciutto Sandwich (Panino) With Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil
    • Easiest Ever Creamy Ricotta Pasta - Work From Home Lunch Series
    • Pasta Amatriciana - The Real Roman Recipe!

    Desserts

    • Easiest Ever Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake
    • Orange upside down cake in a big plate with slice cut out
      Orange Upside Down Cake
    • Pistachio muffins topped with pistachio crumble
      Pistachio Muffins - {Real Pistachios, No Pudding Mix}
    • Pistachio cream in a bowl with a pistachios scattered around
      Pistachio Cream - Made with REAL Pistachios!

    Footer

    Copyright © 2025 Pina Bresciani | Privacy Policy

    7.0K shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.