Mafalde Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta

Maxine
by Maxine
4 servings
20 min

If you only have 20-30 minutes to spare and are craving a delicious lemon cheesy Italian pasta then look no further! This works as a great main dish or a side dish. We paired this pasta with my Buttermilk Roasted Chicken. It was a hit!


The best part of this recipe is how quick it is to make. I love the ricotta, parmesan and lemon combination. When you add the ricotta cheese, it tends to clump up. Make sure to reserve pasta water, and to keep it HOT, which will help thin the cheesy sauce. You may add salt, but the parmesan acts like salt since it is a very salty cheese.

Mafalde Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta
Recipe details
  • 4  servings
  • Prep time: 5 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 20 min
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound mafalde
Instructions

Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water. Noodles and water must still be hot!
In a large deep pan, add the olive oil and wait for it to shimmer. Cook the minced garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes for another minute.
Remove from heat and add the hot noodles in along with the ricotta, parmesan and lemon. Noodles must still be hot so the cheese melts! Add the hot pasta water slowly to melt and loosen up the cheese.
Tips
  • I actually used tongs to grab the pasta straight from the pot and added into the pan. I left the water still in the pot to ensure it stayed hot to help loosen the cheese.
Maxine
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Comments
  • Gabi Gabi on Mar 13, 2022

    Mix the ricotta, parmesean/romano, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl with about a tablespoon of olive oil, it will create a nice smooth sauce to add to the pasta (add some of the pasta water as needed to the pot). Garnish with some basil, grated cheese and a dash of red pepper flakes. Mangia!


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