Are you a pasta lover looking for quick and easy pasta recipes to make on a busy day? Try this creamy mushroom ricotta pasta that’s made with some very basic ingredients and gets ready in less than 30 minutes. The simple flavors of this vegetarian pasta are very satisfying and comforting that make it a really enjoyable dish.
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Pasta: I have used penne but feel free to use any pasta of your choice. Mushrooms: White, cremini (baby bella mushrooms), or portobello mushrooms, all are fine to be used in this recipe. I have used white mushrooms. Parsley: Instead of fresh parsley, you can also use other fresh herbs of your choice like basil or cilantro. Ricotta cheese: It’s a fresh cheese with a fine grainy texture. Ricotta cheese tastes similar to cottage cheese. Use whole milk ricotta cheese for more creaminess. Onion: I have used brown onion but white or red onion can be used too. Seasonings: Feel free to use the seasonings of your choice to flavor this ricotta pasta. I have used red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, dried oregano, and salt. You can also use seasonings like dried thyme, basil, rosemary, garlic powder, and onion powder. Olive oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information is given in the recipe card ahead.
How to serve?
Before serving, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top. You can enjoy it just like that or with a side dish like garlic bread, crispy garlic cheese toast, or any crusty bread. Step 1: Start the process by boiling water with some salt in a large pot. Cook pasta al dente following its package instructions. Step 2: Just before straining the pasta, reserve around 1.5 cups of pasta water. This starchy water will be used later to make pasta sauce. Step 3: Put ricotta cheese and around ¾ cup of pasta water in a small bowl. Whisk until it becomes creamy and keep aside. Step 4: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large pan. Add sliced onion and cook until it becomes translucent. Step 5: Add sliced mushrooms and saute on medium heat until the moisture released by mushrooms get evaporated. Step 6: Add minced garlic and saute for a minute. Step 7: Add red chili flakes, dried oregano, ground black pepper, and salt. Saute for a few seconds. Step 8: Add ricotta cheese and pasta water mix which was made earlier in step 3. Step 9: Cook the cheese sauce for around 2 minutes. If required, add more pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. It should have a consistency that could nicely coat the pasta. Step 10: Add cooked pasta to the sauce. Step 11: Gently mix everything. Step 12: Garnish with finely chopped parsley and chili flakes. Your delicious creamy ricotta pasta with mushrooms is ready to be enjoyed. This simple dish can also be paired with a fresh salad, soup, or grilled vegetables on the side.
Storing and reheating tips
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, either microwave for around 2-3 minutes, stirring in between, or reheat in a pan on the stovetop. Add a splash of water or milk while heating so that the pasta doesn’t dry up. Don’t freeze ricotta pasta.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
Feel free to use any pasta of your choice to make this easy pasta dish. You can also add other vegetables like green peas, green beans, corn kernels, broccoli, etc. to this creamy pasta dish. Collect the pasta water just before straining the pasta so that it has enough starch in it required to make a nice creamy sauce. While mixing ricotta cheese with pasta water, don’t add all the water in one go. Start with around ¼ cup of water at a time, and add more little by little until you get the desired consistency. In case you want to use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese in this recipe, put cottage cheese and a few tablespoons of pasta water in a food processor or any blending jar. Blend to make a smooth pasta sauce and use that in the recipe. If you have cooked your pasta first and then prepared the sauce, don’t leave the strained pasta just like that otherwise they will stick to each other. Instead, drizzle some olive oil, gently toss, and then leave in a bowl. It’s better to make the sauce and cook pasta simultaneously so that they get ready almost at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
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