How to Make Tomato Ricotta Pasta
The simplicity of this Tomato Ricotta Pasta dish belies the rich, complex flavors it delivers. With just a few simple ingredients – passata, basil, and fresh ricotta – you can create a creamy, luscious sauce that will leave your taste buds tingling. The ricotta adds a depth and creaminess to the dish that is simply addictive. And the best part?
This dish is so easy to make that you can whip it up at any time of day, whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a crowd. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a satisfying dinner, this dish is the perfect choice. So go ahead and indulge – your taste buds will thank you!
Watch the Tomato Ricotta Pasta video recipe:
How to Make Tomato Ricotta Pasta Like an Italian
Vincenzo’s Top Tips To Make Tomato Ricotta Pasta
AS MUCH as you like
You can use grated parmigiano regiano as much as you’d like for this recipe
Creamy and Smooth
Keep adding small amount of pasta water slowly and mixing until the cheese mixture is creamy and smooth – but not runny!
Mix and Toss!
Toss and mix the ingredients to create more beautiful flavors together! Don’t forget to top off some more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese!
Tomato Ricotta Pasta
Equipment
- Large pan
- wooden spoon
- large pot for boiling pasta
- Large mixing bowl
- fork
- Cheese grater Optional
- Colander
Ingredients
- 300 grams Short pasta 10oz
- ½ Onion Chopped into small pieces
- 1 bunch Fresh basil
- 1 bottle Passata Or Fresh tomato sauce
- 250 grams Ricotta cheese 8oz
- Parmigiano reggiano As much or as little as you like!
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil EVOO
- Salt & pepper As much or as little as you like!
- 1 tbsp Rock salt For pasta water
Instructions
- Tomato ricotta pasta starts out simple with three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-low/medium heat.
- Then it's time to add the chopped onions.
- Cook the onions until they turn a nice golden-brown color, about 10 minutes. Stir constantly.
- While the onion is cooking, add 4-5L of water to a large pot and leave to boil.
- Now, it's time to add the delicious passata into the pan, stir, and cook for approx 15-20 minutes on very low heat.
- Once the sauce is nice and thick, add salt, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, and basil leaves then leave to cook for 2-3 more minutes and remove it from the cooktop.
- Once the water has started to boil stir in one tablespoon of rock salt. Then add the pasta, and cook for the recommended time on the box. (Mine says it will take about 12 minutes)
- Add 250g of creamy ricotta to a mixing bowl and break it down using a fork.
- Grate the parmigiano regiano freshly into the ricotta. You can use as much as you’d like for this tomato ricotta pasta!
- Add a small amount of pasta water to the ricotta, and mix. Keep adding the pasta water slowly and mixing until the cheese mixture is creamy and smooth – but not runny!
- Put the sauce back on the stove, add the ricotta mixture, and then mix until you have a beautiful pink tomato ricotta pasta sauce.
- Collect an extra cup of pasta water then strain your pasta before adding it to the pasta sauce and if it is too thick, add some of the pasta water to help thin it out. If not, leave it as it is.
- Toss the tomato ricotta pasta to mix the beautiful flavors together. Add some more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to the top; I did of course!
- E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
Video
How to Serve Tomato Ricotta Pasta
Add the delicious pasta to a plate, spooning in as much as you’d like. Top it with a fresh basil leaf, and you’re ready to dig in.
If you add some extra parmigiano reggiano to the top, we won’t judge — and if you have any extra ricotta, you can even add this to the top nice and cold for something different but delicious!
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This Ricota pasta dinner looks amazing does this recipe serve 2 or 1?
I made this again tonight and it’s a generous recipe—a whole box of pasta! I found it enough to feed a family of four. If you want only enough for 1 or 2, try halfing the ingredients. Good luck, bon appetito!
Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe and providing a helpful tip for those who may want to adjust the serving size. It’s always great to hear feedback and suggestions for improvements. Happy cooking!
It makes up to 6 very hearty servings. We typically get about 10 servings from a singular recipe.
Very delicious
I’m thrilled to hear that you found the tomato ricotta pasta recipe very delicious! It’s always great to hear when someone enjoys a recipe. The combination of sweet tomato sauce and creamy ricotta cheese creates a delicious and comforting pasta dish.
To die for! This despite the fact that I had to substitute dried basil, as fresh is hard to come by here in Spain. In the summertime I’ll have plenty from my garden. I used La Molisana Spaghetto Quadrato.
Cooked this recipe.
Just great taste.
Will do it again
Grazie, Vincenzo.
Ciao! Grazie for trying out my recipe and I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! It’s always a pleasure to know that people are enjoying the flavors of my homeland
Came here to check that my ‘experiment’ driven by what needed to be used in the fridge and hungry post Rugby playing boys wasn’t an absolute disaster. I’d ended up with pink sauce and I thought I’d been a bit heavy handed with the ricotta. Comforted to know pink ricotta is a thing. Passed the taste so regardless it was eaten 🙂
I’m glad to hear that your dish turned out well and that everyone enjoyed it, even though it was a bit of an experiment! Pink sauce can be a delicious addition to pasta, especially when made with ricotta cheese. It’s great that you were able to use up ingredients from your fridge and make something tasty for your hungry post-Rugby playing boys. And don’t worry, a heavy hand with ricotta can definitely result in a pink color, but as long as it tastes good, that’s what matters most! Keep on cooking and experimenting, and don’t be afraid to try new things in the kitchen.
Very tasty, mille grazie! How much exactly is a bottle of passata?
I’ve made this several times (including just now) and it’s simply amazing. It’s actually one of my family’s most favorite dishes of all time!!! Thank you so much! You’re brilliant!
I appreciate the enthusiams and warm compliments. This truly brings a huge smile on my face. What other recipes you’d like to try on next?