Penne with Ricotta and Peas
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- Salt and pepper
- 1cup frozen peas
- 1pound penne, ziti or other cut pasta
- About 1 cup ricotta, preferably fresh
- 1tablespoon softened butter
- 1cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
713 calories; 20 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 95 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 582 milligrams sodium
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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- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to boil, and salt it. In a separate pot, cook peas in boiling salted water to cover, until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again and set aside.
- Step 2
Cook pasta in the large pot. While it is cooking, mix ricotta, butter and half the Parmesan in a warm bowl. When pasta is almost done, remove about a cup of its cooking water, and use as much as you need to make ricotta mixture into a sauce.
- Step 3
Toss pasta with ricotta mixture and peas. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, add more cooking water if necessary, and serve, passing remaining Parmesan at the table.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Meri
I didn't see any reason to cook the frozen peas separately. I thawed them in the fridge, then added them to the cooked pasta just before draining it. A quick stir and they were heated through. I added lots of torn basil leaves and freshly-ground pepper.
JoanC
You can also make this with spinach, which is how I usually do it. Looking forward to trying this variation.
Jane
This is especially good with fresh garden peas--I also added some chopped fresh basil. An excellent quick dinner.
Toni
Mix chopped Campari tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, and a clove of garlic in a bowl. Stir. May add salt according to your preference. Do at least at the time you put up the water for the macaroni. This way the flavors blend. Serve on top of pasta, ricotta and peas. Colorful presentation.
Laura C.
This was delicious. I added 1 cup of Parm. to the ricotta, plus lemon zest, salt and pepper, and tons of torn fresh basil leaves. I also added a few more dollops of ricotta. Very simple and tasty. If the mixture is properly seasoned with enough salt and pepper, it will not be bland. My husband was devouring it.
Cissy Aberg
Used fresh-shelled peas and home-made ricotta. A little tarragon, salt and white pepper gave it the simple richness this kitchen-cook Italian recipe is meant to be. It's not supposed to be a multi-ingredient, flavor-layered recipe; more like comfort food made from very few, high-quality ingredients.
Peggy
tarragon makes an excellent addition as well.
Hazel
Made this with asparagus, parboiled in the same water that I then cooked the pasta in. Slightly short of ricotta, so added another Tablespoon of butter. Yum!
Johanna
I love this simple dish. Sometimes I also add 2 pieces of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
MsBlucher
Also very good made with spinach PASTA, and don't skimp on the freshly-ground pepper. My Polish mama always seasoned her green peas with a pinch of marjoram; I'll try that next time, possibly with a dab of roasted garlic in there somewhere too.
Jeanne
Added some fresh chopped dill. Any herb would be a welcome edition.
Judy
I use crumbled feta and a bit of olive oil. Really delicious !
Larry Corridon
Very good recipe and quick and easy for midweek meal. I added sautéed mushrooms for a bit more depth.
Sarah
I used about a third less ricotta (and it was low fat). The dish was still terrific.
Susan Gosman
This is delicious! I thaw the peas by putting them in a colander and running cold water over them for a few minutes. They warm up when you toss them with the ricotta mixture.
JeanV
Made the recipe exactly as written and it was not very flavorful. Next time I would add torn fresh basil leaves or some crushed red pepper to give it some depth.
Julianna
Meh. I do love Mark for his ability to give us a really yummy base as a jumping off point to do whatever our hearts desire afterwards. This one, I either did something wrong, which I can’t see how you could really screw this up to much. Just the recipe as is needs more butter, more parm. But I also think part of the base should be a fresh herb and a little garlic, maybe even some lemon zest. In the end it wound up being good. No shadoopywoopwoop, but good.
helen
I threw in some strips of smoked salmon and a squeeze of lemon juice. Delicious!
John Gordon
I cook for one, so halved the recipe. I steam the vegetables in the pasta pot (peas or asparagus) for 2-3 minutes so only one pot. I also add fresh herbs—dill, chives, tarragon, or basil.
Colleen
We used ricotta made from cows at a small farm here in Colorado - calves stay with their moms & animals enjoy living in the outdoors. Not sure if it's those things that made it so, but husband & I agree: best ricotta we've ever tasted. Used it in this recipe (added garlic & lemon), delicious! Going into our regular rotation.
Llama
This is a favorite among my three elementary school kids. We skip the pepper (“too spicy!”) and sometimes add some lemon zest to the ricotta mixture. Comes together in under 30 minutes during the after-work dinner rush. Perhaps on the bland side for my taste, but we rarely have leftovers because the kids now it down.
Karen
Frozen peas don’t require cooking. I always keep them on hand to thaw & add directly to salads. You can easily thaw them in a couple changes of warm water or, in this recipe, a bit of extra pasta water. Using either mint or basil to round out the flavors is an excellent option.
catmoo
Marcella Hazan does this with bacon. Yum
Denise
I added chopped sautéed pancetta. I, too, cooked the peas in the pasta water and drained before adding the pasta. Proper seasoning with salt and pepper is a must. A quick weeknight delicious dinner!
Julia
Good with a little ham or bacon - or alternatively, lemon zest and soft herbs. Either way, it usually needs more salt than I expect.
Rebecca C.
Yummy. I cut the pasta amount down but used the same cheese mixture quantity. Also added zest from 2 lemons. Will surely make again.
Melanie C.
I doubled the peas and added some chicken sausage to make it a little heartier. I also added an egg to the ricotta and parm mix because I had a little less ricotta than I thought.
c8
Delicious recipe! Definitely requires thorough seasoning with salt and pepper to keep it from being bland, but this was the perfect use for leftover ricotta and Parmesan from a lasagna I made. I added frozen spinach to the sauce mixture before adding the boiling pasta water and it thawed quickly and made a nice addition.
karla
MUCH improved with addition of nutmeg (and red pepper flakes).
Beth Sheba
bland - better to just make a Béchamel (white sauce) - a little nutmeg helped but still, Meh.
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