Ricotta Pasta Bake

By Ali Slagle

Updated October 25, 2023

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,310)
Comments
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Thanks to a whole lot of ricotta, this baked pasta is so creamy and milky that it’s nearly as fluffy as pudding. The dish has a sweet tang from roasted lemon and tomatoes, plus a crisp bread crumb topping to contrast all that plushness. Because the sauce is mostly cheese, it’s worth seeking out ricotta that doesn’t have gum or stabilizers; you’ll get the best results from ricotta that is made of just milk, salt and perhaps a vinegar or natural culture.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 small to medium lemon

  • 2 pints cherry or other small tomatoes

  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

  • 4 sprigs of sage, oregano, thyme or basil (optional)

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound shells, orecchiette or tubular pasta

  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs

  • 1 cup/3½ ounces grated Parmesan

  • 1 pound whole-milk ricotta

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

80 grams carbs; 48 milligrams cholesterol; 603 calories; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 21 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 756 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Zest the lemon into a medium bowl, then cut it into quarters.

  2. Step 2

    In a 9-by-13-inch/3-quart baking dish, toss together the lemon quarters, tomatoes, onion, 3 herb sprigs (if using) and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast until onion is tender and tomatoes burst, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until 1 minute short of al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 ½ cups pasta water, then drain the pasta. To the bowl of lemon zest, add the panko, half the Parmesan, plus the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper then set aside. Finely chop up to 1 tablespoon of herb leaves (if using).

  4. Step 4

    Use tongs to squeeze the roasted lemons into the tomatoes. Discard the spent lemons and herb sprigs. Stir the ricotta, 1 cup pasta water, remaining Parmesan and chopped herbs (if using) into the tomatoes until combined. Stir in the pasta, then season to taste with salt and pepper. If your dish doesn't have sauce pooling, add the rest of the reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with the panko mixture and bake until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,310 user ratings
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Comments

Mary Ann Mays

I found that the lemon curdled the whole milk ricotta and actually was not a particularly interesting flavor in this dish. In addition a whole pound of wagon wheel pasta was too much for a pound of ricotta. A superficially similar dish made for generations in my Sicilian family was ricotta with penne or rigatoni, spinach , garlic and lots of grated cheese. Broccoli rabe...precooked...could also be used instead of spinach. Pasta water was only a 1/2 cup to make the pasta clingier.

UpstateNYObserver

Make this really shine by making your own ricotta. Whole milk, heavy cream and lemon juice or white vinegar. It's dirt simple and quick.

Missy Mareau

I made this tonight exactly as written (except) adding Italian sausage only because my family doesn't trust a meal with no meat. We really liked it!!

John

Looking through old recipes, found this. Made exactly as written, but with an added dollop or two of ricotta :). Used Italian-flavored panko crumbs from the pantry. 1/2 C of pasta water worked fine. One lb of orecchiette #91 cooked as recommended didn't overfill dish; lots of room for topping. For my family, no added strong flavors were wanted. The tangy lemon, onion and cherry tomato flavors plus crunch of topping were delightful. To our taste, sausage, olives etc., would mask those flavors.

Sarah

Meh. I didn't have issues with this being dry or the cheese curdling, but I still probably won't make this again. I regularly make a feta tomato pasta bake that's way easier and, in my opinion, more interesting than this. Just put a block of good feta in to bake with your tomatoes/onion or shallot/herbs/red pepper/garlic/evoo. Mix that with your cooked pasta. Add fresh basil if you want. Done.

EHS

Will this recipe work if I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?

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