Recipes › Pasta › Ricotta Spaghetti Recipe

Ricotta Spaghetti Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

This simple yet elegant Ricotta Spaghetti showcases the creamy richness of fresh ricotta combined with al dente pasta, finished with fresh herbs and a light finishing of olive oil. A classic Italian preparation that highlights the quality of minimal, premium ingredients, this dish comes together in under 30 minutes and serves as a perfect weeknight dinner or elegant first course.

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) spaghetti
• 250g (9 oz) fresh ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 30g (1 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
• 15g (½ oz) fresh parsley, chopped
• 10g (⅓ oz) fresh basil, torn
• 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. The water should taste like the sea. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 9-11 minutes.

2. While the pasta cooks, place the room-temperature ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Add minced garlic and stir gently until combined.

3. Pour the extra virgin olive oil into the ricotta mixture and whisk together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Do not overmix or the ricotta will separate.

4. Reserve 250ml (1 cup) of pasta cooking water before draining the spaghetti. Set the water aside.

5. Add the hot drained spaghetti directly to the ricotta mixture. Begin tossing gently with pasta tongs, adding pasta water one tablespoon at a time until the sauce becomes silky and coats each strand evenly.

6. Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh parsley, and torn basil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Zest half the lemon over the top.

7. Divide among warmed serving bowls and drizzle each portion with a small amount of additional extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately while the pasta is still hot.

Substitutions

• For dairy-free: substitute ricotta with blended silken tofu (250g) combined with 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• For higher protein: stir in 150g (5 oz) finely diced or shredded cooked chicken breast or white fish in step 6
• For vegan: use cashew cream (blend 200g soaked raw cashews with 100ml water) instead of ricotta, and nutritional yeast instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• For gluten-free: substitute spaghetti with gluten-free pasta, adjusting cooking time per package instructions

Tips

• Room-temperature ricotta is essential—cold ricotta will seize and become grainy when mixed with hot pasta. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.
• Pasta water is the key to silky sauce. The starch in the water emulsifies with the oil and ricotta, creating a creamy coating rather than a heavy sauce.
• Cook the pasta to true al dente—undercooked rather than soft—as it will continue cooking slightly when tossed into the warm ricotta mixture.
• For best results, use whole-milk ricotta, not the whipped variety. Whipped ricotta already contains air and will not provide the same creamy texture.

Ricotta spaghetti represents a tradition of simplicity in Roman and Italian cuisine, where a few high-quality ingredients are allowed to shine rather than masked by heavy sauces. This dish reflects the philosophy of cucina romana, emphasizing the quality of the ricotta and the skill of balancing its creaminess with proper technique.

You might also like

Rigatoni Alla Genovese Recipe

27 min · Pasta

Rigatoni With Vodka Sauce Recipe

40 min · Pasta

Salmon Lasagna Recipe

60 min · Pasta

Sausage Pasta Recipe

35 min · Pasta