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Finished pasta in pot with wood spoon

One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta

One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta is an extremely easy recipe with delicious flavor from creamy ricotta cheese, zesty lemon, sharp parmesan cheese, bold garlic, and spicy red pepper flakes. It's a great meatless weeknight dinner because it comes together in one pot and under 20 minutes!
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb gemelli or other short pasta
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice from about 1-2 lemons
  • 2 teaspoon lemon zest from about 1-2 lemons
  • ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoon grated garlic from about 2-3 cloves
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½-1 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

  • Bring water to a boil in your pot with a large three-finger pinch of salt. Once it's boiling, add your pasta and cook until al-dente (usually about 1 - 2 minutes less than the instructions say, taste a noodle to test).
  • Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain it and set the pasta aside. Do not rinse the pasta.
  • To the same pot you just used to cook your pasta, add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and juice, parmesan cheese, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
  • Add your pasta back into the pot with the sauce along with ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Mix until well combined, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to thin it out to your liking. 

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 946mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 381mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian/American
Keyword: Pasta
Author: Haley