Go Back
–+ servings
Forkful of spaghtetti with ricotta in bowl.
Print

Pasta with Ricotta Recipe

There's no easier Italian comfort food dish than Pasta with Ricotta! Simply stir ricotta into a bowl of hot spaghetti and serve!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pasta with ricotta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 211kcal
Author Nadia Fazio

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb spaghetti (about 225 grams)
  • 475 grams whole milk ricotta (a little over 1 pound)
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and boil spaghetti until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, place ricotta in a medium sized bowl. Scoop as much pasta water as needed to create a smooth, creamy sauce. I add about 1 cup. Add salt to taste if necessary.
  • Scoop the cooked spaghetti directly into 4 pasta bowls using a spaghetti scooper.
  • Divide the ricotta mixture among the bowls. Stir the ricotta into the spaghetti and serve immediately.

Notes

Variations:

We enjoy this pasta with ricotta as is. However there are lots of ways you can dress it up!
  • Stir in some sautéed spinach, zucchini or peas, with or without a clove of garlic.
  • Serve with grated parmigiano cheese.
  • Several readers shared with me that their nonnas served it with a spoonful of sugar. I'm intrigued, however I have yet to try this myself!

What types of pasta go well with ricotta?

  • My mom always makes this dish with spaghettini but you may substitute spaghetti or a shorter pasta such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli or shells. Or basically just about any type of pasta you have availabel!

How to reheat leftovers:

  • Pasta with ricotta is best eaten right away as it tends to dry out once cooled. However if you do have any leftovers keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • I recommend you reserve some of the pasta water in order to stir it into the pasta when reheating.
  • Alternately, stir in a spoonful or two of milk when reheating.

More tips:

  • This recipe serves between 3-4 people, depending on portion size.
  • Some varieties of ricotta are more dry than others.  Be sure to reserve pasta water to add as needed in order to have a creamy texture. 
  • Try making homemade ricotta to serve with your pasta!

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg