Treat yourself to this scrumptious Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli! This easy recipe is bursting with fresh, bright flavors and tender veggies. It's super simple to make and ready in minutes!
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Ginnie's Take
Cooking is one thing that always puts me in a better mood. And right now, I'm loving light, bright flavors. Basically, dishes that taste like spring! My delicious Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli is exactly what I've been craving, and I know you're going to love it, too. This easy pasta with ricotta cheese is filled with bright, fresh flavors that scream spring. But you know what the best part is? It only takes minutes to make!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Delicious - This pasta is so bright and fresh tasting! The creamy Lemon Ricotta Sauce get in the nooks and crannies of every noodle. Each bite has so much flavor! And because it's made with ricotta (not cream), this dish tastes rich, but it's not too heavy.
- Easy to Make - Best of all, this homemade sauce requires almost no cooking. It just needs to be warmed up enough to become smooth and creamy.
- Perfect for Any Occasion - This flavorful lemon pasta recipe is fancy enough for company, yet quick enough for weeknight dinners (it's one of my fave 30 minute meals!). Seriously, once your pasta is cooked, it's time to eat ... what could be better than that?
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Ingredients
This easy pasta dish requires very few ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Pasta - I used rotini here, but other shapes (such as cavatappi, fusilli, or gemelli) will also work. You can even pair the sauce with spaghetti, orzo, or ravioli.
- Ricotta - You'll also need some ricotta cheese, of course! The sauce tastes luxurious made with whole milk ricotta, but part-skim works, too.
- Fresh Veggies - Broccoli tastes especially delicious here, but if you're not a fan, replace it with asparagus, peas, spinach, or even tomatoes.
- Unsalted Butter - A bit of butter makes the sauce extra creamy.
- Lemon - Fresh lemon zest adds tons of flavor to the sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes - Crushed Red Pepper Flakes add a delicious, spicy bite that's the perfect counterpart to the rich sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese - A generous sprinkle is the ideal finishing touch.
- Salt + Pepper - I recommend using Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian and nut free. To make it gluten free, simply use GF pasta.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a large pot to cook the pasta and a large bowl to make the sauce.
How to Make Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
This yummy Ricotta Pasta Sauce is so simple to prepare and ready in minutes! You'll find a detailed, printable recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add your pasta. You want to cook the pasta until it's almost (but not quite!) al dente.
- Add the broccoli. When you have about two minutes of pasta cooking time left, add the broccoli to the pot. Continue cooking until your pasta is perfectly al dente and the veg is tender. Reserve about ½ a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli.
- Mix the sauce. While the pasta cooks, stir together the ricotta, butter, lemon zest, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl (big enough to hold the pasta later). Season to taste with salt and pepper. For now, don't worry if the butter doesn't blend in.
- Warm the sauce. I recommend warming the sauce in your microwave, but check out the tip below if you don't have one. After you've mixed everything together, heat the sauce at 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until it's smooth and creamy. It shouldn't take long (about one-and-one-half minutes total) ... you don't need to "cook" it.
- Finish the pasta. When everything is ready, add the drained pasta and broccoli to the ricotta sauce. Then, toss gently until everything is well coated. As you do this, stir in just enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin the ricotta sauce slightly (you may not need it all). This will help the sauce coat the pasta. Before serving, taste your pasta and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
And that's all there is to it ... your scrumptious Ricotta Pasta is ready to eat! Top it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a pop of flavor, and if you like a little kick, an extra sprinkle of pepper flakes.
Related Recipes
Looking for more pastas with ricotta? Try my Pesto Ricotta Pasta or my Delicata Squash Pasta next! You'll love these tasty pasta recipes, too!
- Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta
- 15 Minute Tomato Basil Pasta
- Farfalle with Roasted Asparagus, Lemon, and Parmesan
- Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
- Easy One Pot Pasta
- Cold Asian Noodle Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera
- Instant Pot Pasta with Feta, Olives, and Basil
- Vegetable Tofu Lo Mein
Searching for more ricotta recipes? Try this Baked Ricotta Dip (one of my fave, easy appetizers), yummy White Pizza, show stopping Roasted Vegetable Tart, or these mouthwatering Four Cheese Calzones next!
Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) rotini pasta
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about 2 large heads)
- 1 (15-ounce / 425 gram) container ricotta cheese (about 1 ¾ cups)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- zest from a large lemon
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- pepper
- Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until almost al dente.
- When about 2 minutes of pasta cooking time remain, add broccoli to pot. Continue cooking until pasta is al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and broccoli.
- While pasta is cooking, mix together ricotta, butter, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
- Microwave ricotta sauce for 30 seconds; stir well. Continue heating sauce at 30 second intervals, until sauce is warmed and smooth (about 1 ½ minutes total).*
- Add drained pasta and broccoli to ricotta sauce. Mix well, adding just enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to help sauce coat pasta.
- Taste pasta and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I'm going to make this later this week. It looks great!
I hope you enjoyed it, Paula! It's definitely one of my faves.
This sounds really good! There is a lemon ricotta ravioli at Trader Joe's I like.
Thanks, Holly! Definitely a great flavor combination. I will have to check out that ravioli ... yum!