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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Recipes by Ingredient ยป Pasta

    Easy Tomato and Ricotta Pasta

    Published by: Adina September 1, 2022 ยท Last modified: September 2, 2024 Leave a comment
    Jump to Recipe

    Make this delicious tomato and ricotta pasta with basil. It's a simple dish perfect for a fast weeknight meal, and the sauce will be ready by the time the pasta is cooked.

    close up ricotta pasta with cherry tomatoes, a spoon behind it.

    This cherry tomato and ricotta pasta dish is one of our favorite summer pasta dishes. I often use cherry tomatoes from my garden and basil from the pot on the windowsill. It's a quick meal that my family loves.

    But donโ€™t make pasta with ricotta and tomatoes just for the family! The dish is also perfect for an uncomplicated dinner with friends. It's simple and quick to make yet elegant, interesting, and bursting with flavor.

    Check out other ricotta pasta dishes: One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon, Ricotta Pesto Pasta, and Ricotta Mac and Cheese.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • Additions
    • How to make ricotta tomato pasta?
    • Tips
    • Store and reheat
    • What to serve with it?
    • More Quick Pasta Dishes
    • ๐Ÿ“– Recipe
    • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Comments

    Ingredients and substitutions

    listed ingredients for making pasta with ricotta and tomatoes.

    Pasta: I used linguine, but spaghetti is just as good. You can use any pasta shape you like; it wonโ€™t matter if you use short or long noodles.

    Ricotta: A good quality brand. Cheaper, no-name brands are ok when it comes to flavor but tend to be grainier when heated. Iโ€™ve always had good results (regarding creaminess) when using Galbani (not sponsored, just my experience).

    • The dish tastes great when cooked with cream cheese instead of ricotta. A slightly different flavor, but you will love it.
    • Try more ricotta recipes: Ricotta Pesto Pasta or Ricotta with Honey.

    Flavor: The extra flavor comes from the cherry tomatoes, garlic, capers, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. Try Penne Caprese, too; the dish is also made with cherry tomatoes and basil.

    • If you donโ€™t have cherry tomatoes, use ripe, flavorful regular tomatoes. Just deseed and roughly chop them into pieces about the size of half a cherry tomato.

    See the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient quantities.

    Additions

    Grate some Parmesan on top.

    Cook some chopped bacon together with the tomatoes and the garlic.

    Replace the basil with a small bunch of chopped arugula. Add it all during the last minute of the cooking time.

    When cooking this dish for guests, you could cook some garlic shrimp in another pan and serve them on top of the ricotta tomato pasta.

    How to make ricotta tomato pasta?

    Preparations: Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Before you drain it, reserve about one cup of the cooking water. Make the sauce while the pasta cooks. Chop all the ingredients that need chopping and set them aside.

    collage of two pictures of frying garlic cloves and then cherry tomatoes in a skillet.

    Roast the garlic cloves in olive oil (1). Add the halved cherry tomatoes and stir them for about 2 minutes until they begin to soften (2).

    collage of two pictures of cooking tomatoes in a pan.
    • Cook sauce: Add salt, capers, red pepper flakes, and half of the chopped basil (3). Cook gently until the tomatoes are soft, 5-6 minutes (4).  
    collage of two pictures of mixing pasta with ricotta and then with tomatoes.
    • Combine: Add ricotta, ยฝ cup pasta water, and linguine to the pan (5). Stir gently to combine. Add more water if necessary.
    • Adjust the taste with salt and pepper, stir in the remaining basil, and serve immediately (6).

    Tips

    Donโ€™t forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water, about 1 cup. You will not need it all, but itโ€™s better to save a bit more than to miss it when you need it.

    The starches in the water help the sauce stick to the linguine and also make the sauce creamier.

    A bit of graininess is unavoidable when using ricotta; thatโ€™s why I recommend using a good brand. You can reduce that by straining the cheese through a cheesecloth for a few hours, but I never bother; we love the sauce just the way it is.

    overhead view of a small plate with linguine and cherry tomatoes, a basil plant beside it.

    Store and reheat

    Tomato ricotta pasta is best served immediately. However, leftovers canย be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
    Reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving. When reheating, add a splash of milk to loosen the sauce and stir well.
    The dish is not suitable for freezing.

    What to serve with it?

    I always make a simple green salad with vinaigrette dressing. Or try it with Beet Apple Salad.

    close up plate of linguine topped with cherry tomatoes and basil.

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    ๐Ÿ“– Recipe

    overhead view of tomato and ricotta pasta topped with fresh basil leaves.

    Easy Tomato and Ricotta Pasta

    Delicious tomato and ricotta pasta with capers and basil. A simple dish perfect for a fast weeknight meal; the sauce will be ready by the time the pasta is cooked.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Pasta Recipes
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 647kcal
    Author: Adina

    Equipment

    • Large pot
    • Large skillet or frying pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients  

    • 1 lb linguine 450 g
    • 14 oz cherry tomatoes 400 g, Note 1
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 ยฝ tablespoons capers
    • ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 9 oz ricotta 250 g
    • small bunch of basil
    • fine sea salt and ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of water and drain the rest (Note 2).
      1 lb linguine / 450 g
    • Make the sauce while the pasta cooks.
    • Chopping: Halve the cherry tomatoes and set them aside. Peel the garlic, leave the cloves whole, but crush them lightly with your palm. Roughly chop the capers and set them aside. Chop the basil and set it aside.
      14 oz cherry tomatoes/ 400 g + 2 garlic cloves + 1 ยฝ tablespoons capers + small bunch of basil
    • Roast garlic: Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet. Roast the garlic cloves for a couple of minutes, flipping them a few times in between, until they are golden.
      3 tablespoons olive oil
    • Cook tomatoes: Add the tomatoes and stir on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add a good pinch of salt, chopped capers, red pepper flakes, and half of the chopped basil. Stir and cook on medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
      ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • Combine: Add ricotta, about ยฝ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, and pasta to the pan and stir gently for about 1 minute to heat the sauce through. Add an extra splash of the cooking water if necessary to thin the sauce.
      9 oz ricotta / 250 g
    • Stir in the remaining basil, adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
      fine sea salt and ground black pepper

    Notes

    1. Cherry tomatoes are best, but if you donโ€™t have them, you can use regular ripe and flavorful ones. Deseed and chop them roughly; the pieces should be about the size of ยฝ a cherry tomato.
    2. Pasta water: You will not need it all. To thin the sauce, you will need ยฝ cup plus a little bit more if necessary.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1portion from 4 | Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 849IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? Pin it today!Mention @thefastrecipe or tag #thefastrecipe!

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    Hi, I'm Adina! I am a foodie, creator, writer, and photographer, creating and photographing recipes for my blogs and clients.

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