Pea & Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Printable Page)

Fresh, creamy pasta with ricotta, lemon zest, and sweet peas tossed in silky sauce. Light, vibrant, and ready in minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz rigatoni

→ Ricotta & Lemon Mixture

02 - 8.8 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 1 lemon, zested
04 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
05 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
07 - 1.4 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 for serving
11 - Fresh basil or mint leaves, optional
12 - Lemon zest, optional

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, blanch peas in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, adding them during the last 2-3 minutes of pasta cooking time if using frozen peas. Drain with the pasta.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the mixture.
04 - Add hot drained pasta and peas directly to the bowl with ricotta mixture. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water gradually until pasta is evenly coated in a silky sauce.
05 - Plate immediately and top with extra Parmesan, fresh herbs, and additional lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in literally five minutes, no cooking required, just whisk and toss
  • That ricotta lemon coating clings to every tube of rigatoni like a silky hug
  • Frozen peas work beautifully here, meaning this is a year round dish even when spring feels far away
02 -
  • That reserved pasta water is liquid gold, the starch helps the ricotta sauce cling to every single piece of pasta
  • The ricotta mixture might look thick at first, but it will melt into the most gorgeous silky coating once it hits the hot pasta
  • Frozen peas actually work better here than fresh ones, they are sweeter and more tender, plus they are already blanched
03 -
  • Grate your garlic on a Microplane instead of mincing, it disappears into the sauce leaving only its flavor behind
  • Let the finished pasta sit for about a minute before serving, this gives the sauce time to thicken and cling to the rigatoni
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