I have a confession: this Tomato Ricotta Pasta is the meal I make when I want to feel like I have my life together. It looks elegant, tastes incredible, and nobody has to know it took me less than 30 minutes to throw together. The first time I made it, I was shocked at how a few simple things—tomatoes, garlic, cheese—could turn into something so good. The real secret I stumbled upon is just letting the cherry tomatoes do their thing in the pan until they burst and get all sweet and concentrated. That’s where the flavor is.

Ingredients for Your Tomato Ricotta Pasta

You don’t need a huge shopping list for this creamy tomato and ricotta pasta recipe. It’s all about the simple stuff.

Pasta: A pound (450g) of something chunky. Rigatoni, shells, penne… you want shapes that will scoop up all the sauce.

Cherry Tomatoes: Two full pints. It looks like a mountain of tomatoes at first, but they cook way down.
Garlic: At least 4 or 5 cloves, sliced up. Or more. I’m not your boss.

Olive Oil: About 1/4 cup. Use the good stuff if you have it.
Ricotta Cheese: A cup of whole milk ricotta. Go for the good, creamy kind; it makes all the difference.

Fresh Basil: A big, messy handful. Don’t be shy.
Red Pepper Flakes: A pinch. Maybe 1/4 teaspoon? Just for a little hum of heat in the background.
Salt and Black Pepper: Of course.

Pasta Water: The key! Don’t forget to save a good cup of it.
Parmesan Cheese: For serving. Lots of it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Perfection

This whole dish comes together while the pasta cooks. It’s a beautiful thing.

Step 1: Get the Pasta Going

First, get a big pot of water on the stove and salt it well. Once it’s boiling like crazy, dump your pasta in. Let it cook until it has a nice chew—al dente is what we’re after. Now, wait! Before you drain it, use a mug to scoop out a cup of that cloudy cooking water. It looks murky, but it’s liquid gold for the sauce. Okay, now you can drain the pasta.

Step 2: Wake Up the Aromatics

While the pasta is cooking, get a big skillet warming up over medium heat with the olive oil. Toss in the sliced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Just let them sizzle for a minute or two until your kitchen starts smelling amazing. Don’t let the garlic get brown, just lightly golden and fragrant.

Step 3: Let the Tomatoes Do Their Thing

Tip all of your cherry tomatoes right into the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, give ’em a stir, and then just let them cook for 10-15 minutes. You’ll hear them start to hiss and pop as their skins split. I like to press down on them gently with my spoon to help them break down into a chunky, bubbly sauce.

Step 4: Make the Magic Happen

Here’s the fun part. Turn the heat down to low. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tomatoes. Spoon the ricotta right on top, then pour in about half of the pasta water you saved. Start stirring everything together. It might look weird for a second, but keep going. The ricotta and pasta water will melt into the tomatoes and create this incredible, blush-colored creamy sauce that coats every noodle. If it’s too thick, add another splash of pasta water.

Step 5: Finish it Off

Turn the heat off completely. Throw in your chopped basil and a generous handful of grated Parmesan. Give it all one last toss. Take a bite and see what you think. Need more salt? Go for it. Serve it up right away in big bowls with another blizzard of Parmesan on top. That’s non-negotiable in my house.

Recipes You May Like

Watermelon Feta Salad

You Have to Try This Tomato Ricotta Pasta!

Seriously, make this. It’s one of those recipes that looks way more complicated than it is, and the payoff is huge. This simple Tomato Ricotta Pasta has saved me on so many “what’s for dinner” nights. If you do try it, drop a comment below and let me know how it went! I actually read them and I love to see when people enjoy a recipe.

4-6 yield

Tomato Ricotta Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

The easiest creamiest pasta with a simple sauce of burst cherry tomatoes and rich ricotta. A perfect 30-minute weeknight meal.

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
2 pints cherry tomatoes halved

4-5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 large handful fresh basil chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper

1 cup reserved pasta water
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

Step 1

get a big pot of water boiling and salt it good. throw in the pasta and cook it till its got a nice bite. but wait before you drain it grab a mug and save some of that pasta water. its super important.

Step 2

while the pasta cooks get a big pan warm with the olive oil. toss in the garlic and red pepper flakes and let them sizzle for a minute. just until you can smell the garlic.

Step 3

dump all the cherry tomatoes in the pan with some salt and pepper. just let them cook down for like 15 minutes. theyll start to pop and get all saucy and delicious. you can squish them a little with a spoon if you want.

Step 4

turn the heat down low and add the drained pasta to the pan. now add the ricotta and a splash of the pasta water you saved. stir it all up. keep stirring until it all melts together into this amazing pink sauce. if it looks thick just add more pasta water.

Step 5

turn the heat off and toss in the basil and a good handful of parmesan. give it a final mix and a taste. serve it right away with even more parmesan on top.

Notes

good ricotta makes a big difference. the whole milk stuff is best.

seriously dont forget to save the pasta water. it makes the sauce creamy.

taste it at the end. maybe it needs more salt or basil. you decide.

any short pasta works great here. whatever you have is fine.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 545Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 233mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 19g

There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one.