This easy, delicious One Pot Ricotta Lemon Pasta is ready to eat in only 20 minutes and is a family favorite for busy nights. Pasta is tossed with a simple ricotta lemon sauce made with garlic and Parmesan. It pairs well with a green salad and a side of crusty bread.
Bring well-salted water to a boil over high heat in a large pot and cook pasta al dente. Strain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water for use later. Set pasta aside.
While pasta cooks mix the 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese, ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large mixing bowl. If using roasted garlic, add it to the mixture.
If using minced garlic, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pan and cook minced garlic over medium heat for 1 minute. Add to the ricotta mix. Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water and stir until creamy and combined.
Pour ½ cup reserved pasta water to the empty pasta pot. Add the ricotta mixture and stir until creamy and combined. Add the cooked pasta and mix until sauce evenly coats the pasta, adding more reserved pasta water if needed. Serve warm.