Pea & Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Print Version)

Fresh pasta with creamy ricotta, zesty lemon, and sweet peas. Light, spring-inspired, and ready in minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz rigatoni

→ Ricotta & Lemon Mixture

02 - 8.8 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 1 lemon, zested
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
07 - 1.4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Vegetables

09 - 7 oz frozen or fresh green peas

→ Garnish

10 - Extra grated Parmesan for serving
11 - Fresh basil or mint leaves, optional
12 - Additional lemon zest, optional

# How To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 4 fl oz of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - Blanch the peas in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, adding them during the final 2-3 minutes of pasta cooking if using frozen peas. Drain with the pasta.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, grated garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the mixture.
04 - Add hot, drained pasta and peas to the bowl with the ricotta mixture. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water gradually until the pasta is evenly coated in a silky sauce.
05 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Top with extra Parmesan, fresh herbs, and additional lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 25 minutes but tastes like you spent way more effort on it than you actually did
  • The ricotta creates this incredibly silky sauce without any heavy cream or butter
  • Those sweet green peas and bright lemon make everything feel fresh and springlike, even in the dead of winter
02 -
  • The ricotta sauce can break if you add cold cheese to hot pasta, so let your ricotta sit out for about 15 minutes before starting
  • That reserved pasta water is nonnegotiable, it's what transforms the ricotta from a grainy mixture into a smooth, emulsified sauce
  • Add the pasta water gradually rather than all at once, you can always add more but you cant take it back
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest your lemon, it catches only the bright yellow outer layer and leaves behind the bitter white pith
  • If your ricotta seems watery, let it drain in a fine mesh sieve for 15 minutes before mixing to prevent a loose sauce
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