One-Pot Pasta With Ricotta

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound penne
• 8 ounce whole-milk ricotta
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• black pepper
• Red-pepper flakes, for serving, for serving

Optional

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1 cup peas, frozen

Step 1

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. If using peas, cook with pasta for the last 2 minutes.

Step 2

1. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Step 3

1. In the same pot, make the sauce: Add the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and stir until well combined.

Step 4

1. Add ½ cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth. Add the pasta and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed for a smooth sauce.

Step 5

1. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with some of the sauce that’s pooled at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and basil, if using.