Ricotta Pesto Pasta Ready in 20 Minutes From Start to Finish.
Ricotta Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
Pasta
- 500 g Rigatoni Pasta
Roasted Roma Tomatoes
- 22.5 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 300 g Roma Tomatoes Halved
- 2 g Thyme Chopped or Picked
- 2 g Oregano Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves Grated
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Ricotta Basil Pesto
- 1 bunch Basil Leaves
- 1 Garlic Clove Crushed
- 10 g Pinenuts
- 10 g Walnuts
- 20 g Parmigiana Reggiano Grated
- 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 300 g Ricotta Cheese
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add all of the roasted Roma tomato ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Spread onto the prepared tray and roast for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Reserve 1 cup (250ml) of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the basil, garlic, pine nuts, walnuts, and Parmigiano Reggiano to a blender and blend on high speed, adding the olive oil gradually until you have a thick, pourable pesto. Add the ricotta and blend until combined. Check the seasoning and set aside.
- Add the drained pasta back to the pot it was cooked in. Place over medium heat and add the roasted tomatoes and ricotta pesto. Mix well to combine, adjusting the consistency with the reserved pasta water to your liking. Cook for 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and finish cooking the pasta. Remove from the heat.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano, basil leaves, and cracked black pepper. Dig in.
Chef's Tips
Add the olive oil to the pesto gradually rather than all at once — it's easier to stop at the right consistency than to fix a pesto that's gone too thin.Blend the base pesto ingredients properly before adding the ricotta — ricotta is soft and blends in fast, but the basil, nuts, and garlic need a bit longer to break down evenly, so doing them in that order gets a smoother result.Roast the tomatoes cut-side up, as written — it keeps the juices concentrated in the tomato rather than pooling out onto the tray, which means more flavour ends up in the pasta.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Not recommended for freezing — ricotta tends to turn a little grainy once frozen and thawed, similar to how cream-based sauces can split.To reheat, warm gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce, stirring often. Microwaving works in short bursts, stirring between each, but a pan gives a smoother result.
Serving 300gCalories 806kcalCarbohydrates 102.6gProtein 27.9gFat 31.5gSaturated Fat 7.7gPolyunsaturated Fat 5gMonounsaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0.3gCholesterol 27.6mgSodium 215mgPotassium 603.5mgFiber 5.6gSugar 5.7gVitamin A 420.18IUVitamin C 10.76mgCalcium 303.5mgIron 5.8mg
The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion.
Recipe Notes
Ricotta Pesto Pasta Storage Instructions
To store, place the ricotta pesto pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 months if needed; however, I don’t recommend freezing it as it will lose flavour and texture when thawed.
Ricotta Pesto Pasta Storage Instructions Reheating Instructions
To reheat, place the ricotta pesto pasta into a pan with a splash of warm water and gently mix until hot throughout. Reheating will cause discolouration within the basil pesto. However, this won’t affect the flavour. Alternatively, it can be reheated in a microwave in bursts until hot, adding a splash of water to rehydrate.
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