Upgrade your standard pasta dish with Lemon Ricotta Pasta; rigatoni tossed in a zesty, creamy sauce with sautéed brussels sprouts. This quick 30 minutes recipe and easy dinner made with fresh ingredients is the perfect pasta meal for summer.
If you're craving more carbs, then try other delicious pasta recipes like this Lemon Garlic Pasta, Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken, or my Cajun Salmon Pasta.
Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Brussels Sprouts is a light yet filling vegetarian meal that is ready in just 25 minutes. It's almost a one pot recipe so that means less dishes, thank me later. If you are searching for an easy, satisfying meal, this is my top choice!
Everyone loves pasta but pasta with ricotta cheese is phenomenal - it is light and savory yet creamy and luxurious! Adding veggies makes this pasta meal even healthier. The addition of earthy brussels sprouts brings a welcome crunch and more flavor to this yummy ricotta pasta recipe. Meatless Monday just got a whole lot tastier!
Lemon Ricotta Pasta Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts: Slice them into quarters for easier cooking and to ensure they get nice and crispy.
- Garlic: This is used for added flavor.
- Pasta: You can use any variety of pasta that you prefer. I chose rigatoni this time but spaghetti, penne or fusilli are great options too. However, smaller pastas won't absorb the creamy sauce as well.
- Ricotta: Use good quality ricotta that is full of fat. There are a variety of ricotta cheeses but I suggest whole milk ricotta for this meal. It yields a richer consistency than part skim ricotta.
- Red pepper flakes: This adds a touch of spiciness.
- Dried herbs: For a pop of freshness and bright summery flavor, add herbs like rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
- Olive oil
- Parmesan: Although ricotta does not melt, adding another cheese gives the pasta that familiar, creamy texture. I always recommend grating cheese fresh from the block because it tastes and melts better.
- Lemons: Use fresh lemons because it adds brightness to the pasta. And that zest is essential!
- Salted butter: The butter acts as an adhesive between the ricotta sauce and cooked pasta.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
Cook the Brussels Sprouts
Start by drizzling 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly browned. Add half of the diced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the Pasta
Cook/boil pasta according to package instructions. Don't forget to salt your pasta water! Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
Make the Ricotta Sauce
While the pasta is boiling, combine ricotta, remaining diced garlic, red pepper, rosemary, thyme, parsley, olive oil, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix together and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine Everything
Add drained pasta to a large bowl and toss with butter. Once butter is melted, add the ricotta mixture and continue to mix together. Finally, add Brussels Sprouts and serve.
Tips for Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- For a healthier dish, use whole-grain pasta. It's full of natural fiber and you'll feel full sooner.
- Do not overcook the pasta - cook until just al dente! Overcooking the pasta strips away the nutrients and results in mushy noodles.
- Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it to help thicken the sauce.
- This is best served fresh or the ricotta will harden.
Add-Ins!
If you'd like to use another vegetable, I recommend trying leafy vegetables spinach and arugula! You can also try adding a protein like adding chicken breast or chickpeas! Garlic shrimp would be an awesome addition as well as white wine chicken, too!
What to serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Firstly, Garlic Bread of course! I always eat pasta with garlic bread, it's the best combo. A side salad is an amazing pair as well.
I also love to enjoy this dish with a glass of white wine, preferably Viognier or a buttery chardonnay - SO good.
Leftovers
Just like other pasta, Lemon Ricotta Pasta works great as a leftover. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.
When you are ready to reheat, add in a splash of milk or olive oil if the sauce has absorbed into the pasta.
More Pasta Recipes!
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Salmon Pasta
- One Pot Casarecce Pasta with Sausage
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Zucchini Baked Ziti
- Pesto Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto
- Cheesy Baked Mac and Cheese
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Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs Brussels sprouts cut into quarters
- 4 cloves Garlic diced
- 1 lb Rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup Ricotta
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp Dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp Dried thyme
- 1 tsp Dried parsley
- 1 tbsps Olive oil (additional tbsp for cooking brussels sprouts)
- ¾ cup Parmesan
- 2 Lemons zested and juiced
- 4 tbsps Salted butter
Directions
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly browned. Add half of the diced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain pasta.
- While pasta is boiling, combine ricotta, remaining diced garlic, red pepper, rosemary, thyme, parsley, olive oil, parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix together and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add drained pasta to a large bowl and toss with butter. Once butter is melted, add ricotta mixture and continue to mix together. If you'd like to have a looser sauce, add pasta water, 2-3 tbsps at a time and mix together until desired consistency is reached. Add brussels sprouts and serve.
Notes
- For an even healthier dish, use whole-grain pasta. It's full of natural fiber and you'll feel full sooner.
- Do not overcook the pasta because it strips away the nutrients and results in mushy noodles.
- Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it to help thicken the sauce.
- This is best served fresh or the ricotta will harden.
This was just ok. First, I wouldn't call it an "almost one pot recipe" because I had to use a pot for the pasta, a pan for the brussels, a bowl to make the sauce and a strainer. The recipe calls for an additional bowl to mix everything but I just put it all back in the pasta pot. I am not a fan of the raw garlic in the sauce or the raw dried herbs. The sauce is oddly unbalanced. If I made this again, I would season the bruseels with all the garlic and use fresh herbs in the sauce. I only used a 1/2 lb of pasta because I like extra saucey pasta.
Thanks!