Pesto and Ricotta Pasta

This Pesto and Ricotta Pasta is the perfect 15-minute meal, using only 4 ingredients! A gluten free pasta dish which can be thrown together a hurry with creamy ricotta, zesty lemon and vibrant pesto. Great for a light summer dinner.

Whenever I need an easy and quick dinner I always turn to a pesto pasta dish. And this Pesto Ricotta Pasta recipe might be my new fave!

Whether you’re using homemade pesto or a jar, this is such a quick and simple dinner to throw together.

All you need is gluten free pasta and three ingredients for the sauce and you’ve got a banging summer dinner in minutes.

It’s perfect served with my gluten free garlic bread or my 3-ingredient cheesy doughballs.

Why make this recipe?

• So Quick: This gluten free pesto and ricotta pasta can be on the table in less than 15 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
• 4 Ingredients: You only need gluten free pasta, pesto, ricotta and lemon juice to make this easy pasta dish.
• Gluten Free: This recipe uses gluten free pasta and the sauce is naturally gluten free, making it perfect for anyone with coeliac disease.
• Super Versatile: You can easily add anything you like to this recipe, from chorizo, bacon or cooked chicken, to roasted veg, courgette, spinach or tomatoes.

Ingredients

This recipe is so simple it only needs a few ingredients. The quantities are in the printable recipe card but the shopping list you will need:

• Gluten Free Pasta: Any shape of gluten free pasta works for this recipe. I used the gluten free shell pasta from Tesco. I can highly recommend Napolina gluten free pasta and Garofalo gluten free pasta – both a bit pricier but worth it in my opinion. I also have a recipe for homemade gluten free pasta in my book!
• Pesto: Most jars of pesto are gluten free but always double check as there may be the odd exception. You can also make your own gluten free pesto with a few simple ingredients to take this to a whole new level!
• Ricotta Cheese: This soft cheese makes a delicious, creamy pasta sauce. If you don’t have ricotta, you could use mascarpone or a cream cheese.
• Lemon: I add lemon juice to the pasta sauce to give it a lovely, fresh taste. You can omit this if you’re not a citrus fan.

How to make pesto and ricotta pasta

Making this ricotta pesto pasta is so easy, I didn’t even feel the need for any step-by-step photos. Mainly because – there are hardly any steps!

Firstly, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and then cook the gluten free pasta as per the pack instructions. This is usually around 8-10 minutes.

Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the water (around 1/4 cup) as you will need to add this to your sauce to help it coat the pasta nicely.

Make the sauce by mixing the ricotta, pesto and lemon juice in a bowl. Before draining the pasta, add 1/4 cup (60ml) of the reserved pasta water into the sauce and mix well.

Drain the pasta and pour back into the pan. Pour over the sauce, mix well to coat the pasta and then serve hot.

Top your pasta with fresh basil leaves and some hard Italian cheese, such as parmesan or grated Pecorino Romano cheese. A sprinkle of lemon zest works nicely too.

Variations

I absolutely love this basic pesto and ricotta pasta recipe on it’s own – but here are some ideas for some variations:

• Spicy: Use a chilli pesto to make a spicy version, or add a teaspoon of chilli flakes to the sauce for a bit of a kick.
• Cheesy: For extra cheese, add a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese to the sauce mixture and an extra sprinkling on top.
• Veggie: Pimp your pesto and ricotta pasta with roasted courgette (zucchini), aubergine, peppers, tomatoes and red onion.
• Meat: Add cooked chicken, chorizo or bacon bits to this pesto and ricotta pasta for extra protein in your meal.
• Nutty: Adding a sprinkle of pine nuts to the pasta can give it a really nice texture and taste.

Serving suggestions

This easy pesto pasta dish is a great gluten free dinner on it’s own, but these sides also make a great addition:

• Gluten Free Doughballs
• Crusty Gluten Free Baguette
• Air Fryer Garlic Bread
• Gluten Free Oven Chips
• Parmentier Potatoes
• Roasted Chantenay Carrots
• Greek Salad

You could also serve this gluten free pasta recipe up as a warm pasta salad for a gluten free barbecue side dish too.

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.