One pot ricotta lemon pasta with arugula and parmesan cheese! Make an easy lemon ricotta pasta sauce in just a few steps to enjoy this deliciously bright dinner! And if you like this ricotta cheese lemon pasta, you’ll love my Boursin Pasta, my Vegan Couscous Salad with Chickpeas, and my Puff Pastry Pizza!
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Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Arugula
This recipe is a new favorite of mine for sure! It's a simple one-pot creation with a creamy lemon ricotta sauce, peppery arugula, and nutty parmesan cheese. I love all the fresh ingredients and the bright, bold flavors, especially as a weeknight dinner during spring and summer. I made it with bronze-cut pennoni pasta, but it works well with any shaped pasta that can pick up all the creamy sauce!
Creamy Ricotta Pasta Sauce with Lemon
I love this sauce because it showcases the versatility of ricotta as an ingredient! It's not always the first thought when you think of pasta ingredients, but it creates a delicious creamy sauce. Plus the amazing flavor combination of the creamy ricotta with the tart citrus and peppery arugula makes this the perfect lemony ricotta sauce for pasta!
What is ricotta sauce made of?
This is a super simple one pot recipe -- in addition to the lemon zest and juice and ricotta cheese, you'll just need a few more ingredients to add amazing flavor!
- pasta - I used bronze-cut pennoni, but any tubular or ridged pasta works well.
- ricotta cheese - I prefer to use whole milk ricotta, but you can also use part-skim ricotta as well.
- lemon zest and juice - we'll use both the zest and juice of two lemons to mix in with the rest of our ingredients and make a delicious bright and tangy ricotta sauce for pasta.
- red pepper flakes - this is optional, but you can add a bit of a kick to your lemon ricotta sauce with some chili flakes.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano - this is my favorite cheese, and I love its nutty flavor in this pasta! You can definitely omit the Parmigiano-Reggiano if you prefer, or substitute for another hard, aged Italian cheese.
- extra-virgin olive oil - this is a fresh sauce, so we're using olive oil as a finishing oil to add flavor and a bit of richness to our ricotta cheese lemon pasta.
- arugula - the perfect greens to add for a bit of peppery flavor. You can also add baby spinach or even massaged kale.
Equipment Needed
This is a one-pot recipe! You'll need a medium stock pot or dutch oven to cook your pasta and then mix up the sauce. You'll also need a microplane zester to zest your lemon.
One Pot Ricotta Lemon Pasta - F.A.Q.
Ricotta is often used in stuffed pasta dishes like ravioli, manicotti, and stuffed shells. But it can also be used in sweet dishes like my cannoli pie or my ricotta blueberry toast, or as a topping for pizza! It's also delicious in these giant cheese stuffed shells!
Yes you can! Ricotta is a unique fresh cheese that doesn't melt when heated, but it's totally fine to heat it up. In this recipe, it's lightly heated by the pasta and pasta water.
Yes, for sure! I find that it tastes better fresh, but you can definitely prepare the pasta and sauce up to a day in advance. You should cook your pasta about a minute less than al dente, so that it doesn't overcook when reheated. Toss the pasta with the other ingredients except the arugula, then store covered in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, heat on low until heated through, then remove from heat, toss in arugula, and serve.
I love having this fresh springtime recipe with crusty bread on the side, or my savory caramelized onion tart! Or if you want to add more springtime veggies, you can also check out how to cook asparagus or this zucchini ground beef casserole!
And once you've tried this pasta, check out my baked mac and cheese recipe!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Lemon Recipes You'll Love
- Lemon Shrimp Pasta with Kale
- Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Pistachio
- Lemon Dump Cake
- Lavender Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon and Blackberry Cake
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
- dutch oven
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese - or you can also use part-skim
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano - grated; plus more for topping
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil - plus more for topping
- 2 medium lemons - zested and juiced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - or to taste (optional)
- 1 lb penne pasta - or a similar shape
- 2-3 cups baby arugula
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 2 medium lemons, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until it is cooked al dente, about 11 minutes. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta and return to the pot. Remove from heat.1 lb penne pasta
- Stir in arugula and allow to wilt for a minute, then add ricotta mixture and ½ cup of hot pasta water.2-3 cups baby arugula
- Stir gently stir to form a sauce, adding additional pasta water a bit at a time if needed for creamy consistency.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately, topped with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil.salt and pepper
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on October 11, 2023 by Chenée Lewis
Carrie Robinson
I am loving EVERYTHING about this pasta dish- especially the lemon ricotta sauce! 🙂 Definitely saving this recipe for our next pasta night.
Andrea
Great flavors, hearty and comforting this easy to make pasta is perfect for a weeknight meal.
Chenée Lewis
I agree! Thank you!
dina and bruce miller
Oh hey now, a new favorite dinner! Love lemon, love ricotta and love arugula!! Tasty!
Chenée Lewis
So happy that you liked it!
TAYLER ROSS
I made this pasta for dinner last night and it was fantastic! The lemon flavor was just right- can't wait to make it all summer long!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! So glad you liked it!
Denise Cron
I have made this multiple times but substituting cream cheese for ricotta (because that's what I had) and using baby spinach. Delicious.
I also usually use wholemeal pasta.
Chenée Lewis
Delicious! I love that it works with your substitutions! 🙂
Renee
Such a tasty combination of flavors, and the lemon-peppery arugula is perfect in it. Thanks for the recipe!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! So glad you like it!
sarah
Ricotta made it so creamy. new favorite for the girls in our house.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! It's such a light, fresh dinner!
Amy
Ohhhh my gosh was this good!! I am so happy to have found this recipe!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! So glad you like it!
Dana
Absolutely delicious! I love lemony pasta and this one did not disappoint.
Chenée Lewis
Me too! Lemon makes everything better!
Nathan
Ricotta and lemon is such a perfect combination of flavors, and the red pepper really makes it all pop! A new favorite pasta dish, thanks for sharing!
Chenée Lewis
Thanks! I love the bit of heat from the red pepper flakes!
Denise Cron
We love this dish and make it often. Sometimes we use sour cream instead of ricotta and maybe add garlic. Either way its always delicious. Thank you for sharing
Chenée Lewis
Sounds great with your substitutions! 🙂
Katie Crenshaw
Wow! I love this. The lemon ricotta with arugula made an incredible combination. I will be making this pasta all summer!
Chenée Lewis
I love this combination too!
Andrea Pannell
Looks to0 good to be true! Excellent photography!
Pete
What I great recipe! I love the flavor the Arugula adds, here in Australia, we call Arugula, Rocket. So for the Aussies reading this, use Rocket!
Chenée Lewis
Thanks so much for the tip!
Amy Liu Dong
Such an easy, and delicious pasta recipe to make. My husband will surely love this. Thank you!
Chenée Lewis
I'm so glad you like it! Thanks!
Leslie
This is the ultimate pasta recipe, especially if you want to mix things up again! So impressive!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! It's one of my favorites!
Nancy
I am so making this pasta this weekend! The photos and recipe got my mouth watering so much.
Chenée Lewis
Yayy! I hope you love it!
Jere Cassidy
So glad to find your ricotta sauce recipe for pasta. I am not a big fan of tomato sauce on pasta and this recipe is just luscious. I love ricotta and lemon together. I would have never thought of adding arugula but I love it.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I love the arugula in it 🙂
Loreto and Nicoletta
You have three of our favorite ingredients lemon, ricotta,, and pasta. Beautiful recipe, always could use another great pasta dish!❤️👍👌🥰
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much!
Megan
This pasta is amazing! I served it with some fresh garden peas on the weekend and everyone was ohhing and aaahing and before I knew it... all gone! Thanks for a recipe I will use over and over.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! So glad it was a hit for you!
Kayla DiMaggio
This ricotta lemon pasta was so amazing! I love the creaminess from the ricotta and the tartness from the lemon!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!