Creamy Ricotta Pasta Sauce

Name: Creamy Ricotta Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 ounces orecchiette pasta; 1/2 cup ricotta cheese; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 lemon, zested; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; 1/4 cup pesto, or to taste

⏱️ Ready in 30 min 🥄 Prep 10 min 🔥 Cook 20 min 👥 4 servings 👁️ 9 views

A simple marriage of ricotta cheese, egg, and a secret ingredient make for a sauce that's even creamier than those that use heavy cream, which can be a bit too rich and filling. I mean, come on, I'm trying to save room for the tiramisu. Ricotta gives this sauce a cheesy tanginess that we don't get with heavy cream. I love to top this pasta with lots of ricotta salata, a great summer cheese.

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🔗 Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

#Pasta #Under 1 Hour #Under 30 Minutes #Dinner

📊 At a Glance

Prep 10 min

Cook 20 min

Serves 4

Difficulty Medium

🛒 Ingredients

8 ounces orecchiette pasta

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, zested

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup pesto, or to taste

Nutrition Facts

Servings per recipe 4

Serving size 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 297

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.4g 12%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 617mg 27%

Total Carbohydrate 42.4g 15%

Dietary Fiber 2.6g 9%

Total Sugars 1.1g

Protein 11.4g 23%

Vitamin D 0mcg 0%

Calcium 0mg 0%

Iron 0mg 0%

Potassium 0mg 0%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Cook orecchiette according to package directions, reducing time by 1 minute, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper in a bowl.

Mix until a paste forms.

Add 1/3 cup hot pasta water and whisk well.

Repeat with another 1/3 cup pasta water.

Transfer pasta to a saucepan using a strainer, letting most, but not all, the water drain off.

Reserve cooking water.

Add the sauce mixture and turn heat to medium.

Cook and stir until sauce thickens enough to coat the pasta evenly, about 2 minutes.

Add more pasta water if sauce gets too thick.