Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this. Lemon ricotta pasta comes together in 15 minutes with a creamy no-cook sauce, bright lemon flavor, and simple ingredients.
For more quick and creamy pasta ideas, try our lemon pasta, feta pasta, or hummus pasta.
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Why you’ll love my Lemon Ricotta Pasta!
Lemon ricotta pasta is one of those recipes that instantly takes me back to my childhood. 💛 I learned it from my Nonna Lidia, who used to make it for my great-grandma Adalgisa while caring for her. One week she’d stir a little sugar into the lemon and ricotta, the next she’d add Parmesan instead. That’s the beauty of ricotta—it might just be Italy’s most versatile cheese. The version we’re making here is the savory one, perfect for a quick lunch or easy weeknight dinner.
Louise and I still make this recipe all the time because it’s incredibly simple, comforting, and ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta. While the pasta boils, you whisk together creamy ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, and a splash of pasta water. That’s it. 🍋
The result is a creamy lemon pasta without heavy cream that’s fresh, satisfying, and naturally protein-rich. Ricotta is mild, creamy, and lower in fat and sodium than many aged cheeses, making it a wonderful ingredient for balanced, Mediterranean-style meals.
We love adding spinach for extra color and fiber, but the recipe is endlessly flexible with peas, broccoli, asparagus, or mushrooms too. It’s a wholesome pasta that’s easy enough for busy days, yet delicious enough to become part of your regular dinner rotation. 🍝
P.S. Looking for more creamy vegetable pasta ideas? Try our Broccoli Pasta, Zucchini Pasta, or Asparagus Pasta.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Pasta: Rigatoni is our favorite because the sauce clings to every bite. Substitute penne, fusilli, farfalle, shells, spaghetti, or your favorite gluten-free pasta for an easy ricotta pasta recipe.
- Baby spinach: Wilts into the pasta in minutes and adds color and fiber. Swap with frozen peas, asparagus, arugula, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower.
- Ricotta: Whole milk ricotta makes the sauce creamy without heavy cream. Substitute part-skim ricotta for a lighter option, blended cottage cheese for extra protein, or dairy-free ricotta for a vegan version.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano adds savory depth. Pecorino Romano works too, or use your favorite dairy-free Parmesan alternative.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon zest brings bright citrus flavor, while a squeeze of juice is optional for extra tang. Lime zest works in a pinch, though the flavor will be different.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds richness and helps create a silky sauce. Good-quality avocado oil or a small knob of melted butter also work.
- Nutmeg: Just a pinch enhances the creamy ricotta. Leave it out if you don’t have any, or use a tiny pinch of white pepper instead.
- Salt and black pepper: Season to taste. Finish with chopped basil, parsley, or chives for extra freshness and to make this Italian lemon pasta feel even brighter—a perfect 30 minute pasta dinner.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta and spinach
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to the package directions.
Halfway through the cooking time, add the spinach to the same pot. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the spinach is wilted.
Step 2: Make the ricotta sauce
While the pasta cooks, add the ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl.
Add one ladleful of hot pasta water, then whisk until smooth and creamy. This simple no-cook sauce makes pasta with ricotta cheese especially quick and easy.
Step 3: Toss and serve
Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and spinach, then add them to the bowl with the ricotta sauce.
Toss well until every piece is coated. Add more pasta water, a little at a time, if the sauce feels too thick.
Serve this spinach ricotta pasta immediately with extra black pepper, Parmesan, and lemon zest.
Tips
- Use whole milk ricotta: It’s creamier and blends into a silky sauce much better than low-fat ricotta.
- Don’t skip the pasta water: The starchy cooking water is the secret to a smooth, glossy sauce. Add it a little at a time until it’s perfectly creamy.
- Cook the spinach with the pasta: Add it during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking. It wilts perfectly and saves you from using another pan.
- Reserve extra pasta water: The sauce thickens as it sits. A splash of warm pasta water just before serving brings it back to a silky consistency.
- Mix the sauce while the pasta cooks: By the time the pasta is done, the sauce is ready too. It’s one of the reasons this recipe comes together so quickly.
- Toss the pasta while it’s hot: The heat gently warms the ricotta and melts the Parmesan into a creamy sauce without needing to cook it.
- Taste before serving: Ricotta varies by brand, so adjust with a little more Parmesan, lemon zest, salt, or black pepper until the flavors are just right.
- Serve right away: This pasta is at its creamiest fresh. If it sits for a few minutes, stir in a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Customize with vegetables: Spinach is our favorite, but peas, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, roasted cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes are all delicious additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since this recipe comes together in about 15 minutes, we don’t recommend making it ahead. It’s at its creamiest right after it’s tossed together. If you do make it in advance, reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining. Both the pasta and the ricotta sauce will thicken in the fridge, and a splash of the reserved pasta water when reheating will bring the sauce back to a smooth, creamy consistency.
Yes, but expect a different result. Ricotta is what makes this pasta so creamy, milky, and comforting. Cottage cheese has a tangier flavor and a different texture, so the sauce won’t taste quite as rich or silky. If you do use cottage cheese, blend it until smooth first for the creamiest texture. It’s a practical, higher-protein alternative, but for the classic flavor and texture of this recipe, ricotta is the clear winner.
Absolutely! This vegetarian pasta recipe is easy to customize. Try peas, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, roasted cauliflower, or cherry tomatoes depending on what’s in season.
Yes. Simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta and prepare the recipe exactly as written.
Reserve plenty of pasta cooking water and add it gradually while tossing the pasta. The starch in the water helps create a silky sauce without using heavy cream.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The sauce will thicken as it chills. Reheat gently in a skillet or the microwave with a splash of water or reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Rigatoni is our favorite because the ridges hold onto the creamy sauce, but penne, fusilli, shells, farfalle, and even spaghetti all work well for this easy lemon pasta.
More easy Italian pasta dinners
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Mushroom Alfredo
- Cauliflower Alfredo
- Pesto Pasta
- Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Pasta Primavera
- Pasta and Peas
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
If you try this Lemon Ricotta Pasta Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Lemon Ricotta Pasta (No-Cook Whipped Sauce)
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short pasta like rigatoni, penne, rotini, farfalle, etc
- 10 ounces spinach fresh
- 1 cup ricotta whole-milk is best
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg optional
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta and spinach: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 12 ounces short pasta according to the package directions. Halfway through cooking, add 10 ounces spinach to the same pot. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the spinach is wilted.
- Make the ricotta sauce: While the pasta cooks, whisk together 1 cup ricotta, ½ cup grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon salt, pep¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ cup of hot pasta water in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Toss and serve: Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and spinach, then add them to the bowl with the sauce. Toss well, adding more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta. Serve right away with extra Parmesan, black pepper, and lemon zest if you like.
Notes
- Rigatoni → Penne, fusilli, farfalle, shells, spaghetti, or your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Baby spinach → Frozen peas, asparagus, arugula, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower.
- Whole milk ricotta → Part-skim ricotta, blended cottage cheese, or dairy-free ricotta.
- Parmesan → Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, or dairy-free Parmesan.
- Fresh lemon → Lime zest for a different citrus flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil → Avocado oil or a small knob of melted butter.
- Nutmeg → Omit it or use a tiny pinch of white pepper.
- Fresh herbs → Finish with basil, parsley, or chives.
- Use whole milk ricotta for the creamiest sauce.
- Save the pasta water—it makes the sauce silky and glossy.
- Cook the spinach with the pasta to save time and dishes.
- Toss everything while the pasta is hot for the best texture.
- Taste before serving and adjust the lemon, Parmesan, salt, or pepper.
- Stir in a splash of pasta water if the sauce thickens.
- Add your favorite veggies to make it your own.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat with a splash of water.
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
L❤️VE L❤️VE L❤️VE
. . . your recipes! Thank you for sharing the recipes AND the VERY important nutritional information breakdown!!!
Can I use goat/sheep cream cheese/labneh or tofutti instead of the ricotta?
Hi Maz, thanks for your question 🙂
Those all sound delicious and I think that flavor-wise they would work. But truthfully, we haven’t tested this recipe with goat or sheep cream cheese, labneh, or Tofutti, so I can’t say how they’ll work. The substitutions we’ve tested are part-skim ricotta, blended cottage cheese, and dairy-free ricotta.
I hope you enjoy the pasta if you give it a try. Warmest,
Louise