Description
Comfort meets elegance in this creamy tomato ricotta pasta, where silky ricotta blends with tangy tomato sauce. Rich Italian flavors dance together, creating a simple yet luxurious meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti)
- 1 (14 ounces/397 grams) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Seasonings and Spices:
- 1 teaspoon salt (for boiling water)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cooking Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup pasta water (reserved from boiling pasta)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a spacious pot with generously salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Submerge the pasta and cook until it reaches a tender yet firm consistency, periodically testing for doneness. Extract a small portion of starchy liquid before draining the noodles completely.
- Select a wide skillet and warm olive oil over moderate heat. Introduce minced garlic and swirl rapidly to release its aromatic essence without browning. Pour crushed tomatoes into the pan, seasoning with salt, cracked pepper, fiery red pepper flakes, and herbaceous Italian seasoning.
- Allow the tomato mixture to gently simmer, occasionally stirring to prevent scorching. The sauce will gradually thicken and develop deeper flavors, roughly 5 minutes. Lower the flame to its minimum setting.
- Fold creamy ricotta and nutty Parmesan into the simmering sauce, whisking until the texture becomes uniformly smooth. If the consistency appears too dense, gradually incorporate reserved pasta water to achieve a silky, luxurious finish.
- Transfer the perfectly cooked pasta directly into the sauce, gently tossing to ensure each strand is lavishly coated with the vibrant, velvety mixture. Scatter freshly torn basil leaves and an additional sprinkle of Parmesan across the top before serving.
Notes
- Use high-quality, ripe tomatoes for a more vibrant and authentic sauce flavor.
- Reserve pasta water generously to control sauce consistency and enhance creaminess.
- Experiment with different pasta shapes like rigatoni or penne to catch more sauce in their ridges.
- For a lighter version, swap whole milk ricotta with low-fat ricotta or Greek yogurt to reduce calories without compromising texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg