Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp is a bright and zesty one-pot meal that's on the table in just 15 minutes.  Ricotta cheese, al dente pasta, Italian Seasoning, and fresh lemon come together for one irresistible dinner!  This Lemon Ricotta Pasta will soon become one of your favorite homemade meals.

If you love easy pasta dinners, also try my Cajun Shrimp Pasta, Goat Cheese Pasta, and Lemon Pesto Pasta.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp

This Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp is a perfect healthy weeknight dinner.  It's easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients, uses just one pan, and is ready in just 15 minutes.  The creamy ricotta cheese and pasta cooking water turns into the perfect easy, creamy sauce, without the fuss.

This recipe has been on the site since 2014, and I've been making it since then.  You really can't beat the combination of creamy cheese, zesty lemon, and tender shrimp.  I recently gave the photos an upgrade so this classic Running in a Skirt recipe could get the love it deserves.  In fact, you need to add this to the dinner routine.

Lemon Ricotta with Shrimp is now not only one of the Hub's favorite dishes, but the twins' too.  I love pasta too.  I am always looking for new ways to throw together a quick pasta dinner that doesn't just use a jar of sauce.  This is perfect!  It is simple to make and is absolutely decadent to eat.

Why You'll Love this Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp recipe...

• Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp is fresh and healthy!
• This hearty pasta dinner feels creamy and decadent without fussing over a cream sauce.
• If you love lemon, this is for you!
• It also has veggies!
• You can customize this dish with your favorite protein or vegetables.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

• Rigatoni Pasta: I like the flavor and texture of rigatoni pasta in this recipe.  The big circles capture the ricotta sauce well.  You can also substitute any pasta shape, such as penne, bowtie, farfalle, spaghetti, and campanelle.
• Shrimp: You will need a pound of shrimp for this!  I use jumbo shrimp at the 21-30 count, but you can use large ones too.  They will just cook faster.
• Zucchini: I love adding a green vegetable to this, and zucchini pairs perfectly with the shrimp, lemon, and pasta.
• Lemon: This dish gets its lemon flavor from one whole lemon.  You will need to juice and lemon zest.  Use a microplane to get the zest off the lemon.
• Ricotta Cheese: Riccota cheese is where the magic is!  This creamy cheese turns into a decadent sauce without using heavy cream.  I tested this with part-skim ricotta, but whole milk ricotta will taste richer.
• Italian Seasoning: I like to use my own Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix or a favorite store-bought version.  You can also use a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
• Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan cheese adds a huge flavor punch and browns up nicely in the air fryer.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Just enough for cooking.
• Salt & Black Pepper

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions for making Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp, but the full, detailed, printable recipe is in the recipe card below.

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, sauté the zucchini over medium heat in ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until just starting to soften. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and herbs. Push to the side of the pan.
3. Next, you will need to cook shrimp.  Add the shrimp to the pan with the other ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Allow the shrimp to cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until pink. Season each side with a pinch of salt, pepper, and herbs. Squeeze one quarter of the lemon over the shrimp and zucchini. Remove from the heat.
4. Drain the cooked pasta, but do not rinse it. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the pasta water, remaining lemon juice and zest, remaining salt, pepper, spices, and ricotta cheese. Stir until the pasta is coated and turns into a smooth sauce.
5. Fold in the parmesan cheese.
6. Serve with shrimp and zucchini mixed in or piled on top!

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp Variations

I love this Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

• Make it Vegetarian: Leave out the shrimp.
• Mix Up the Veggies: You can swap or add veggies into this, including cherry tomatoes, peas, asparagus, baby spinach, or arugula.
• Add Protein: You can also swap the shrimp for chicken, scallops, or Italian Sausage.
• Add Fresh Herbs: You can add fresh basil leaves, parsley, or mint.
• Make it Spicy: Add some red pepper flakes.
• Add Nuts: Add some pine nuts!

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

If you make this Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp

Julie Wunder

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp is a bright and zesty one-pot meal that's on the table in just 15 minutes.  Ricotta cheese, al dente pasta, Italian Seasoning, and fresh lemon come together for one irresistible dinner!  This Lemon Ricotta Pasta will soon become one of your favorite homemade meals.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 683 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 zucchini, cut in ¼ inch half moons
• 1 pound jumbo raw shrimp, peeled, tail-on and deveined
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 15 oz ricotta cheese, can use reduced fat
• ½ cup shredded parmesan
• ½ cup pasta water

Instructions

 

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
• While the pasta is cooking, sauté the zucchini over medium heat in ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until just getting soft. Season with a pinch of the salt, pepper and herbs. Push to the side of the pan.
• Add the shrimp to the pan with the other ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Allow the shrimp to cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until pink. Season each side with a pinch of the salt, pepper and herbs. Squeeze one quarter of the lemon over the shrimp and zucchini. Remove from the heat.
• Drain the pasta but do not rinse the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the pasta water, remaining lemon juice and zest, remaining salt, pepper, spices and ricotta cheese. Stir until the pasta is coated.
• Fold in the parmesan cheese.
• Serve with shrimp and zucchini mixed in or piled on top!

Notes

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  When reheating, you might need to add a few drips of water to get the pasta sauce moving again.

Freezing

I would not try to freeze this.

Nutrition

Calories: 683kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 45gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 910mgPotassium: 637mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 348IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 391mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Lemon Ricotta Pasta, Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Shrimp

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