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Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Creamy 20-Minute Recipe)

Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Creamy 20-Minute Recipe)

Creamy lemon ricotta pasta that comes together in 20 minutes. Whole-milk ricotta and bright lemon make a silky sauce, while Olivea extra virgin olive oil sautes the garlic and finishes each bowl with a peppery drizzle.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published June 14, 2026

Jump to Recipe
Prep 8 min
Cook 12 min
Total 20 min
Easy

Why We Love This Recipe

What we love about this pasta is how three honest ingredients do all the work: whole-milk ricotta for body, lemon for brightness, and good olive oil for richness and aroma. The ricotta loosens into a silky sauce the moment it meets hot pasta water, and the lemon keeps every bite tasting fresh instead of weighty.

Olivea extra virgin olive oil earns a starring role here twice over. It sautes the garlic into a fragrant base, then goes on raw as a finishing drizzle, so each bowl carries the fruity, peppery character of a fresh-pressed high phenolic extra virgin olive oil. That finishing pour is where the polyphenols, including hydroxytyrosol, come through most vividly on the palate.

Nutritionally the bowl is well-rounded. Ricotta and Parmesan bring calcium and protein, lemon adds vitamin C, and olive oil delivers heart-friendly monounsaturated fats that help your body absorb the fat-soluble nutrients alongside them. It is a comforting plate of pasta that still tastes light, bright, and genuinely nourishing.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Use whole-milk ricotta, and drain it if it looks watery.

Whole-milk ricotta whips into a far creamier, more luxurious sauce than the low-fat version, which can turn grainy. If your tub has pooled liquid on top, spoon it off or set the ricotta in a fine sieve for a few minutes so the sauce clings to the pasta.

Save more pasta water than you think you need.

The starchy, salty cooking water is what turns ricotta into a glossy sauce that coats every strand. Ladle out at least a full cup before draining, and add it a splash at a time until the sauce slides off the spoon.

Zest before you juice, and use both.

The zest holds the fragrant lemon oils that give the dish its perfume, while the juice brings the acidity. Grate the zest off first while the lemon is still firm and easy to handle, then halve and juice it.

Finish with a generous drizzle of Olivea EVOO.

A raw pour of Olivea extra virgin olive oil right before serving is what lifts this from simple to memorable. Off the heat, its fruity, peppery notes stay vivid and round out the lemon and ricotta beautifully.

Toss off the heat to keep the sauce silky.

Ricotta is at its creamiest when it is warmed gently, not boiled. Combine the drained pasta and ricotta in the warm pan off the burner, loosening with pasta water, so the sauce stays smooth rather than tightening up.

Ingredients

4
servings
  • 1/4 cup Olivea Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided (for sauteing plus finishing)
  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus more to serve
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 1 1/2 tsp, plus more for pasta water kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Large Pot
Large Skillet
Microplane/Zester
Mixing Bowl
Colander
Ladle

How to Cook Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Creamy 20-Minute Recipe)

PREP

1
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously until it tastes like the sea. Zest and juice the lemon, mince the garlic, and grate the Parmesan while the water heats.
2
In a mixing bowl, stir together the whole-milk ricotta, grated Parmesan, lemon zest, half the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside so it comes to room temperature.

COOK

3
Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directs. Before draining, ladle out at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and reserve it.
4
While the pasta cooks, warm 2 tablespoons of Olivea extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant and just turning golden, then remove the pan from the heat.

FINISH

5
Add the ricotta mixture to the warm skillet off the heat, then add the drained pasta. Toss, loosening with reserved pasta water a splash at a time, until a silky sauce coats every strand.
6
Taste and adjust with the remaining lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Fold in the torn basil, finish each bowl with a generous drizzle of Olivea extra virgin olive oil and extra Parmesan, and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

This pasta loves a bright, simple plate alongside it. Pile on some lemon garlic shrimp to turn it into a heartier main, or start the meal with a crisp green salad dressed in plenty of olive oil. A chilled glass of white wine rounds it out nicely.
For a more classic Italian take, lean into the lemon and skip the ricotta with our easy pasta al limone. You can also stir a spoonful of lemon basil pesto into the finished sauce for an herbier, greener bowl, or add peas, asparagus, or wilted spinach in spring.
If you love this creamy, comforting style of Italian cooking, our creamy Parmesan risotto is a natural next dish to master, using the same gentle, low-and-slow approach to coaxing richness out of just a few ingredients.
Lemon ricotta pasta is best the day it is made, when the sauce is silkiest. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce, then refresh with a little olive oil before serving.
The ricotta sauce base can be mixed up to a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature while the pasta cooks, then combine, so the sauce stays smooth rather than seizing against cold cheese.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 generous bowl
Calories 560
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g32%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 16g
Monounsaturated Fat 13g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 640mg28%
Total Carbohydrate 64g23%
Dietary Fiber 3g11%
Total Sugars 4g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 110mcg12%
Vitamin C 9mg10%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%
Calcium 340mg26%
Iron 3mg17%
Potassium 260mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

This bowl delivers the fruity, peppery character of fresh extra virgin olive oil in every bite, sauteed into the garlic and drizzled on at the finish. For an easy way to get olive polyphenols every single day without cooking, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement is a convenient daily addition.

Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
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Frequently Asked Questions

Lemon ricotta pasta is a quick Italian-style dish where cooked pasta is tossed with creamy whole-milk ricotta, lemon zest and juice, Parmesan, and olive oil. The starchy pasta water loosens the ricotta into a silky sauce, so it tastes rich but stays bright and light.
Whole-milk ricotta is best, since it whips into a smooth, creamy sauce. Low-fat ricotta has less flavor and can turn grainy. If your ricotta looks watery, drain off the excess liquid before mixing so the sauce clings to the pasta.
Long strands like spaghetti or linguine are traditional and let the silky sauce coat each piece, but short shapes such as penne or rigatoni work well too. Choose a shape with enough surface area to hold the ricotta sauce.
Bring the ricotta to room temperature, combine the pasta and ricotta off the heat, and loosen with warm pasta water rather than boiling the sauce. Gentle warmth keeps ricotta creamy, while high heat can cause it to tighten and turn grainy.
Olive oil does double duty here. It sautes the garlic into a fragrant base, and a raw finishing drizzle adds fruity, peppery richness that balances the lemon. A quality extra virgin olive oil like Olivea makes that finishing pour taste especially vivid.
It is already vegetarian. To keep it fully vegetarian, use a rennet-free Parmesan-style cheese, or simply leave the Parmesan out and add a little extra ricotta and salt. The lemon and olive oil still carry plenty of flavor.
It is best fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce, then finish with a little olive oil.
A crisp green salad, garlicky sauteed greens, or roasted vegetables all pair well. For a heartier meal, add a protein such as seared shrimp or grilled chicken, and pour a chilled glass of white wine.
Yes. Spring vegetables like peas, asparagus, or spinach fold in beautifully and add color and freshness. Add quick-cooking greens at the end so they wilt in the warm pasta, or blanch firmer vegetables in the pasta water for the last couple of minutes.

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