This one pot lemon ricotta pasta is the perfect dish to serve on a busy weeknight. It's vegetarian friendly, comes together in just twenty minutes or less without any fuss. Simple fresh ingredients, delicious bright flavor, and minimal effort!

Why you'll love this recipe:

This is one of those easy recipes that come together in a breeze. This lemon ricotta pasta recipe has delicious flavor and is really fool proof. Add your favorite greens like peas, fresh basil, arugula or baby spinach or maybe some grilled chicken for the perfect meal any night of the week. Oh.. and it's all made in one pot making clean up super fast!

Ingredients you'll need:

Kosher salt
Black pepper
Short, ribbed pasta, bow ties or penne
Ggarlic, minced
Whole-milk ricotta (8 ounces)
Ffreshly grated Parmesan or pecorino (2 ounces), plus more for serving
Freshly grated lemon zest plus ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
Red-pepper flakes, for serving
Fresh basil
Greens of choice - peas, spinach, arugula

Step by step:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
In the same pot, make the sauce: Cook the garlic on low for two minutes, until translucent. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and stir until well combined.
Add ½ cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth. Add the pasta and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add in your greens of choice here. We always add peas and spinach. Add more pasta water as needed for a smooth sauce.
Divide the pasta among bowls and top with some of the sauce that’s pooled at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan and basil.

Now you've got yourself some creamy lemon ricotta pasta - the perfect weeknight dinner, all you need is some extra lemon zest, some fresh black pepper, some lemon wedges and some fresh herbs.

Serving suggestions:

This recipe is great with some garlic bread

Frequently asked questions:

Can I reheat this recipe the next day?

For leftovers, reheat the next day with one of these two methods:

Add your leftover pasta, sauce and some fresh garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Saute for about two to three minutes, until hot.

To microwave, add a splash of water into your microwave safe bowl filled with leftovers and heat in one minute increments until pasta is warm.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

I'd recommend making the sauce ahead of time and pasta right as you need it. This recipe comes together so quickly that you can get it all done in minutes!

Can I freeze this dish?

This recipe freezes well for up to three months in an airtight container. To thaw remove from freezer and place in the fridge overnight. Reheat according to instructions above.