Ricotta Pesto Pasta

This ricotta pesto pasta combines vibrant pesto with ultra-creamy whipped ricotta for a delicious summer meal ready in just 15 minutes. It's luscious, fresh, and flavorful.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ricotta Pesto Pasta

Servings:

Calories: 153kcal

Author: Katia

Ingredients

Pasta

9oz (250 grams) Pasta (rigatoni, fusilli, spaghetti...)

Basil Pesto alla Genovese

1 ½ cup (45 grams) Basil leaves
¼ cup (20 grams) Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon (10 grams) Pecorino cheese
1 heaped tablespoon toasted pine nutes, plus more to garnish
1 small garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon fine salt
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Whipped Ricotta

¾ cup (200 grams) full-fat ricotta cheese
3 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. After 5 minutes of cooking time, reserve about ½ cup of pasta water, than drain the pasta when it's al dente.
Make the pesto: Make the Genovese basil pesto according to this recipe, or use your favorite recipe or a high-quality store-bought pesto.
Whip the ricotta: Add the ricotta, milk, Parmesan cheese to a small food processor and whip until creamy and fluffy. Adjust the salt at the end; you might need about ¼ tsp of salt, depending on the saltness of the parmesan cheese. You can also use a whisk to whip the ricotta cheese in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine pasta, pesto and ricotta: Drain the pasta until al dente, then return it to the pot (turn the heat off) and stir in the pesto with half of the whipped ricotta and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Toss until well combined and creamy, add a bit more pasta water if needed.
Serve: Divide into bowls and using a spoon add a dollop of whipped ricotta to each serving of pasta. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and top with toasted pine nuts, more grated parmesan cheese if desired. I also love fresh basil leaves a pinch of red pepper flakes on top! Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Pine nuts: To toast the pine nuts (optional), preheat a small skillet over medium heat, add the pine nuts, and toast until lightly browned, which takes about 3 minutes. Immediately remove them from the skillet.

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 as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice (extra parmesan cheese for serving is not included). Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition