Sink your teeth into a light and refreshing summer pasta dish! This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is an easy meal that will leave you feeling nourished and refreshed.
We all need 30 minute meals in our back pocket for those busy summer days. Pasta is a great choice for times we need something nourishing and filling, but pasta can get heavy at times. Summer is all about light food during warm weather!
Try this light and refreshing Lemon Ricotta Pasta, made with fresh herbs, lemon zest, and whole milk ricotta cheese! It is decadent, delicious, and perfect for a summertime meal. Plus, you can add any veggies or protein you like!
Choosing Gluten-Free Pasta
There are a huge variety of gluten-free pastas these days. You can get anything from:
- Brown rice pasta
- Chickpea pasta
- Buckwheat noodles
- Cassava flour pasta
- Cauliflower pasta
- And more!
Brown rice pasta is often considered the closest to wheat pasta, in that it leaves a bit of its starch behind in its cooking liquid. For this reason, you can use the cooking water in your sauces. This allows your sauce to cling to the noodles in a luxurious, delicious way!
Ingredients in Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- 8 oz. gluten-free pasta, cooked
- 1 cup pasta water (save from the cooking process)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Boil your pasta as per the package directions. Using a ladle, carefully save 1 cup of pasta cooking water to add to your sauce later. Drain.
Add the ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the pasta pot. Mix well. Turn on the heat to low.
Add the drained, cooked pasta to the pot along with a little bit of pasta water at a time, mixing well to create a sauce that coats the noodles. You may not need all of the pasta water.
Finish with the Parmesan and stir once more before turning off the burner. Serve hot.
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz. gluten-free pasta, cooked
- 1 cup pasta water (save from cooking process)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Boil your pasta as per the package directions. Using a ladle, carefully save ½ cup of pasta cooking water to add to your sauce later. Drain.
- Add the ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the pasta pot. Mix well. Turn on the heat to low.
- Add the drained, cooked pasta to the pot along with a little bit of pasta water at a time, mixing well to create a sauce that coats the noodles. You may not need all of the pasta water.
- Finish with the Parmesan and stir once more before turning off the burner. Serve hot.
