Pea & Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Printer-Friendly)

Fresh rigatoni with creamy ricotta, zesty lemon, and sweet peas in a silky sauce. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz rigatoni

→ Ricotta & Lemon Mixture

02 - 9 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 1 lemon, zested
04 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
05 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
07 - 1.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Vegetables

09 - 7 oz frozen or fresh green peas

→ Garnish

10 - Extra grated Parmesan, to serve
11 - Fresh basil or mint leaves (optional)
12 - Lemon zest (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, blanch the peas in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes (add during the last 2–3 minutes of the pasta's cooking time if using frozen peas). Drain with the pasta.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, grated garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. If needed, add a splash of pasta water to loosen the mixture.
04 - Add hot, drained pasta and peas directly to the bowl with the ricotta mixture. Toss well, adding a little reserved pasta water as needed until the pasta is evenly coated in a silky sauce.
05 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan, fresh herbs, and more lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes while the pasta cooks no separate saucepan needed
  • Its equally good warm from the stove or as room temperature leftovers for lunch the next day
02 -
  • The pasta water is crucial it creates the silky emulsion that transforms ricotta into an actual sauce
  • Mix the ricotta sauce while the pasta cooks because it thickens as it sits and needs to be loose enough to coat
03 -
  • Grate the garlic directly into the ricotta mixture so it disperses evenly and you avoid biting into raw chunks
  • Room temperature ricotta blends more smoothly so take it out of the fridge while you prep everything else
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