One pot pasta with ricotta and lemon is creamy, refreshing, and a quick and easy meatless dinner that is great on a weeknight. 

This ricotta lemon pasta dish is so simple to make and is perfect for warmer weather. It’s light, a little citrusy, but still very filling. 

Most times you can easily swap the cheese out in pasta dishes, but we don’t recommend getting rid of the ricotta. For this meal it’s a signature ingredient, and other cheeses will not yield the same results. 

Have more ricotta you need to use up? Try Whipped Ricotta Crostini, Ricotta Pie with Spinach, or Ricotta Pancakes. 

Ingredients Needed 

• Spaghetti – you can really use any type of pasta for this recipe, so choose your favorite if you don’t have spaghetti. 
• ricotta cheese
• grated parmesan cheese
• mint leaves
• Lemon zest
• Salt and black pepper

How to Make One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon

In a large pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain, and set aside. 

Combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, mint, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well.

Pour in ½ of the reserved pasta water and stir together to combine. Add the cheese mixture to a skillet over medium heat. Slowly add more pasta water until the desired consistency is reached. 

Stir in the drained pasta to the ricotta mixture. 

Garnish with mint and lemon zest, then serve. 

Tips for Making 

• Cook the pasta until they are al dente. They will simmer a little more in the pan. Plus if you reheat leftovers you do not want them to be soggy
• When zesting a lemon, don’t over do it. As you start seeing the white rind on the lemon, move to another spot to zest. 
• While you could use low or reduced fat ricotta, full fat produces the creamiest sauce.
• Fresh parmesan is the best! Not only is the flavor more prominent it also melts easier. If you can’t get fresh, you can use the bagged kind from the store. 
• For spicy one pot pasta, add a dash or two of red pepper flakes.

Optional Add In Ideas 

We like to keep this recipe simple, but it is very versatile. So here are some other ideas for transforming this dish or adding more volume and protein. 

Veggies: spinach, mushrooms, peas, and zucchini would all go well. You’ll want to cook or saute the vegetables before adding them to the skillet, since it doesn’t cook long after adding the pasta. 

Protein: Serve your favorite chicken, shrimp, or fish on the side. You can also make it ahead of time and pile it on top of your pasta.

How to Store 

Keep leftover pasta in an airtight container for 3 days. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop. If it needs to be thinned out you can add a splash of water or vegetable broth. 

More Easy and Delicious Pasta Recipes:

• Harissa Pasta
• Pasta Pomodoro with Burrata
• Green Pea Pasta
• Instant Pot Pasta
• Tahini Pasta

One Pot Ricotta Lemon Pasta

One pot pasta with ricotta and lemon is creamy, refreshing, and a quick and easy meatless dinner that is great on a weeknight.

1 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Abbie

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain, set aside. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
• In a bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, mint, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and mix well.
• Add ½ cup reserved pasta water to bowl with ricotta mixture and mix well. Add to skillet over medium heat. Add reserved pasta water till desired consistency reached.
• Add drained pasta to skillet and toss with ricotta mixture.
• Optional: add more chopped mint and lemon zest for garnish

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