This bright and fresh lemon ricotta pasta has a creamy sauce, bits of salty prosciutto and fresh, green pea shoots.
This lemon ricotta pasta is one of my favourites. It combines the ricotta with lemon (both juice and zest) for a great fresh flavour. Add in the salty prosciutto and the fresh taste of pea shoots and it’s my idea of pasta perfection.
And best of all? This pasta dish is on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is always best and in this case, you will need some zest from a fresh lemon as well for the nicest lemon flavour.
Prosciutto – prosciutto is easy to find in just about any grocery store. If you have a source for Speck, it is a nice alternative to prosciutto in this dish. I love the flavour of Speck. It’s essentially prosciutto-ish, but it’s smoked, instead of air-dried. You’ll usually find it in the store in the same place you find prosciutto.
Pea Shoots (or Pea Sprouts) – pea shoots bright a bright, fresh flavour to this pasta. When it comes to eating them, it really doesn’t matter if they’re labelled shoots or sprouts. The difference usually refers to how and how long they were grown.
No access to pea shoots? Substitute watercress, or try some baby greens, such as baby spinach or baby arugula.
Recipe tips!
If you’d like to up the veggie quotient of this dish, stir in a cup of cooked green peas.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This dish is best freshly made. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Freezing is not recommended as the ricotta may become grainy from the freeze and thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 9 oz pappardelle pasta, or other long pasta
- 1/2 cup green onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 slices prosciutto, torn into thin pieces
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
For garnish:
- Reserved green onion
- Handful pea shoots
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions, RESERVING 1 CUP OF THE PASTA BOILING WATER before draining.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, salt, pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add about 2/3 of the green onion and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the ricotta mixture and stir to combine. Turn off heat until pasta is ready.
- When pasta is cooked and drained, add to skillet with ricotta. Heat over medium heat, tossing, and adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed, to loosen the sauce, until warmed. Add prosciutto and parsley. Toss to combine.
- Serve garnished with pea shoots, reserved green onion and a shaving of Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
More pasta recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I bought some wild cod today and took a peak at what I would like as a side since both will have lemon. You came through again Jennifer. Hehe. I have everything else in the fridge already.
I know my wife will love it tonight. Thanks.
Perfect side for that cod :) Enjoy!
This pasta was absolutely delicious.
Thank you Jennifer,
Josephine
So glad you enjoyed it, Josephine :) Thanks so much!
Two years later & this is still a winner. So fresh & bright. Always a hit with my guests!
So glad to hear, Allyson :) Thanks!
Made this last night for company & none of us can stop talking about it. It was fabulous! Another winner, Jennifer. Thanks for making these amazing dishes so accessible.
Cheers!
So glad Allyson :) Thanks!
I love these spring flavors, such a perfect pasta dish!
Thanks Laura :)
My mouth is watering, just thinking about this wonderful dish. I’m quite certain if it was set in front of me, I would be drooling all over the place.
Thanks Chris :)
Loving this light spring dish Jennifer. Love that you’ve used pappardelle and added some prosciutto!
Thanks Mary Ann! I love pappardelle. So good for grabbing the sauce :)
Lemon pasta is a favorite in our house, we just made lemony cream pasta with peas, now I need to make it again with those fresh shoots and prosciutto!
Thanks Sue and yes, it’s such an easy and delicious dish. And lemon pasta is a favourite here, too!
The freshest of the fresh! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this idea for pasta topping. And the choice of pappardelle is calling me, wider bands to mop up the deliciousness. Ricotta is one of my weaknesses. Incredible! Pinned and so making it.
Thanks Milena :) I love ricotta pasta sauce and with the lemon, it’s just so fresh!
I absolutely LOVE lemon pasta, and this one is just packed with yum! The prosciutto and pea shoots are brilliant additions, my friend! Perfect for spring! Cheers!
Thanks Cheyanne, all my favourite things in one dish ;)
WOWOWOW! This is a winning recipe in my book! (In any book, for that matter!) I am imagining tasting it, right now!
Thanks Annie :)
What a terrific pasta dish! Such great flavors and pretty too. Love the pea shoots. I need to try and grow them again – they’re just great in all kinds of recipes. Hope you have a beautiful warm spring weekend Jennifer
Thanks Tricia! I’ve never tried growing my own, but I should do that, since I love to have them around :)