Ricotta Spaghetti

This fabulous ricotta spaghetti is ready in less than 15 minutes and makes a delicious, fresh, creamy pasta dish perfect for busy weeknights!

Feel free to add any proteins or veggies that you would like to!

A few years ago, I shared a scrumptious lemon ricotta pasta that turned out to be one of The Clever Meal’s most popular pasta recipes. I almost hesitated to share this ricotta spaghetti today as it features similar ingredients and is anything but fancy.

But we love it so much, and I think you’ll instantly love it, too.

The pasta sauce combines fresh ricotta, parmesan, hints of garlic and lemon, and a touch of cream to achieve the most delicious, velvety texture.

The best part? This amazingly smooth sauce doesn’t require any cooking.
All you have to do is mix the ingredients in one bowl, add it to the cooked spaghetti, and toss until combined and coats perfectly your twirls of spaghetti!

And you’ll love how quick and embarrassing this easy recipe is to follow. It comes together in less than 15 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights or when you have company but don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen.

And if you feel fancy or creative, this easy recipe is also a breeze to customize with your favorite protein or veggie add-ins to make it even more delicious.

You guys are going to love this creamy, cozy ricotta spaghetti!

List of the ingredients

• Spaghetti
• Ricotta
• Parmesan cheese
• Cream
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon & garlic
• Pine nuts (optional)
• Fresh basil (optional)
• Salt & pepper

How to make ricotta spaghetti

(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil to cook your spaghetti until al dente.
• Add the ricotta sauce ingredients to one bowl, stir until smooth, taste, and adjust the season if desired.
• Drain and return the spaghetti to the pot. Stir in the ricotta sauce, fresh basil, and a splash of pasta water. Toss until well combined.
• Serve with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and a few cracks of black pepper. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

RIcotta spaghetti ingredients

Spaghetti: I recommend buying premium-quality spaghetti, which has a better taste and a rough texture that helps the sauce cling to each noodle. But feel free to use whole-grain or gluten-free spaghetti or any other long pasta shapes if desired.

Ricotta: Either standard ricotta sealed in containers or fresh ricotta from the deli counter is perfectly fine for this spaghetti recipe.

Cream: I use a single cream for this recipe, which is equivalent to half and half in the United States. It has less fat than heavy cream (about 18% fat content), but it’s still rich enough to make the sauce velvety, especially if your ricotta is a bit grainy. Whipping cream can be used as a substitute.

Parmesan cheese: It’s savory, nutty, and just too good to be left out. Parmesan adds depth of flavor; if you skip it, the recipe won’t taste the same.

Garlic and lemon: The recipe contains just the right amount of garlic and lemon to add flavor without overpowering the fresh ricotta.

Basil and pine nuts (optional, but highly recommended): I love the fresh basil combined with ricotta, but you can leave it out. I also love a generous sprinkle of lightly toasted pine nuts on top to add extra texture, but you can leave them out or substitute with chopped walnuts instead.

Salt & pepper: I recommend adjusting the seasoning to your liking before serving.

Ricotta spaghetti variations

This spaghetti recipe is highly versatile and can be customized with various vegetables and proteins. Vegetable options might include roasted or sautéed cherry tomatoes, grilled or roasted zucchini, peppers, kale or spinach, and roasted artichokes. Consider grilled chicken, shredded ham, shrimp, and salmon for protein. You name it!

Leftovers & storage tips

• Ricotta spaghetti is best when fresh, creamy, and al dente. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but they tend to dry out and lose their creaminess.
• To reheat on the stove or microwave, stir your spaghetti leftovers with milk or cream to revive the creamy sauce.

If you have ricotta leftovers…

Check out this collection of delicious ricotta recipes and ricotta desserts to use any ricotta leftovers you might have on hand. You’ll find pizza, muffins, cakes, dips, crostini, amazing pasta dishes, and more!

More quick pasta recipes you’ll love!

• Creamy spaghetti
• Spinach spaghetti
• Fried spaghetti with scrambled eggs
• Healthy spaghetti
• Spaghetti with garlic & olive oil
• Lemon spaghetti

And since you are a spaghetti lover, you might want to check out this collection of spaghetti sauce recipes!

Lastly, I hope you’ll love this ricotta spaghetti as much as we do. And if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!

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Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Ricotta Spaghetti

This fabulous ricotta spaghetti is ready in less than 15 minutes and makes a delicious, fresh, and creamy pasta dish perfect for busy weeknights!

The recipe yields 4 servings.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ricotta spaghetti

Servings: 4

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Katia

Ingredients

Spaghetti

• 8 oz (220 grams) Spaghetti or other long pasta shape

Ricotta pasta sauce

• 1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup (about 30 grams) grated parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) single cream
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• ½ lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 8 basil leaves, shredded
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, to serve (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Instructions

Spaghetti

• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta per packet instructions. 
• When the spaghetti is al dente, stop cooking, reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, drain and return the spaghetti to the pot.

Ricotta sauce

• Combine the ricotta sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir well until smooth. Taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, or add a bit more of lemon zest or garlic if you like.
• Add the ricotta sauce to the drained spaghetti, stir in the basil, and toss everything in the pot until well combined. Add a touch of the reserved pasta water (you need about ⅓ cup) and stir until spaghetti looks creamy and moist.
• Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese, a few cracks of black pepper, and toasted pine nuts for extra texture (optional, but recommended). Buon appetito!

Notes

Storage: Ricotta spaghetti leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Refrigeration will dry them out. Reheat on the stove or microwave with a touch of water or milk, and toss well until combined. 

 

Nutrition facts: The nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only, and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice (extra parmesan cheese and pine nuts to serve are not included). Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 548IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 1mg