Creamy Pesto Pasta without Cream is a luscious, elevated dish made with a ricotta pesto sauce and topped with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. This no-cream family-favorite recipe comes together in just 15 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients.
This creamy pesto pasta is a smooth and luxurious dish you'll want to add to your weeknight rotation! Simply boil the pasta, mix the ingredients in a bowl, and toss the pasta in the creamy sauce. Make it with store-bought pesto, or with our Kale Walnut Pesto, Spinach Pesto, or 5 Minute Basil Pesto.
It's a healthy comfort food that's perfect for a date night at home and can be easily scaled for a large group for entertaining. The pesto sauce is so creamy, your guests won't believe it's not made with any cream!
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About Ricotta Pesto Pasta
- Taste - The herby pesto and creamy ricotta mixed with the pappardelle is decadent and satisfying.
- Texture - The sauce is creamy and the pasta is al dente, or firm.
- Effort - This easy pasta only has a few steps. Just toast the nuts, cook the pasta, mix the sauce and pasta, then enjoy!
- Time - It takes about 5 minutes to prep the ingredients then about 20 minutes to cook the pasta and mix everything together.
What is in Creamy Pesto Pasta?
Creamy pesto pasta typically refers to pesto pasta with heavy cream or a cream substitute. The pesto provides the herby flavor while the cream makes the sauce thick and rich. In our recipe, we use ricotta instead of heavy cream because it is more flavorful and healthier.
Ingredients
- Pesto - We recommend our basil, kale, or spinach pesto because all of these homemade pestos are easy to make and pair deliciously with the pappardelle and ricotta. However, you can also use a store-bought pesto and this pasta will still be delicious.
- Pappardelle pasta - Pappardelle is a long and flat pasta noodle. It has a large surface area and rough texture that make it perfect for soaking up sauces.
- Ricotta - Ricotta is a thick and mildly sweet cheese.
- Salt - Salting the pasta water adds flavor to the pasta noodles.
- Lemon zest - Lemon zest brightens the dish.
- Pine nuts - Topping the pasta with toasted pine nuts adds a rich crunch to the pasta.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Basil Pesto - Our homemade basil pesto is a vibrant and flavorful classic pesto.
- Spinach pesto - Our spinach pesto is a slightly sweeter pesto.
- Kale Walnut Pesto - Try our kale walnut pesto for a more peppery pesto.
- Homemade Pasta - Make homemade pasta from scratch instead of store-bought.
- Short pasta - Both rigatoni and penne pasta (rigate) are great alternatives because they have ridges that catch more pasta sauce.
- Gluten Free - Use gluten free pasta to make this recipe gluten free. We recommend Garofalo Gluten Free Spaghetti, which tastes like traditional wheat based pasta.
- Zucchini noodles - Try zoodles instead of regular pasta noodle for a nutritious alternative.
- Whole Wheat or Brown Rice Pasta - Replace traditional pasta with whole wheat or brown rice pasta for a healthier option.
Variations
- Spicy - Add red pepper flakes or extra freshly ground black pepper to make the pasta spicy.
- Garlic - Garlic is a classic aromatic that adds a pungent taste. For a lighter garlic flavor, you can sprinkle a little garlic powder instead.
- Crispy prosciutto - Add our easy crispy prosciutto for a delicious and savory crunch.
- Blistered tomatoes - Blistered cherry or grape tomatoes will provide bursts of flavor when mixed in with the creamy pesto.
- Veggies - If you want to enjoy this pasta with pesto, try our Asparagus and Zucchini Pesto Pasta.
- Sausage - Add chicken sausage or try our Sausage Pesto Pasta with Rapini (Broccoli Rabe).
- Chicken - Creamy pesto chicken pasta is delicious and healthy way to add protein.
- Extra lemony - Add a little lemon juice or a little more lemon zest for extra lemon flavor.
- Parsley - Chopped fresh parsley brightens the dish with fresh and herby flavor.
Instructions
- Cook pasta - In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta to the water and cook until al dente per the packaging instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain the cooked pasta. (Photo 1)
- Toast pine nuts - To toast pine nuts, heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the pan and stir the pine nuts until they turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the nuts from the pan and set aside.
- Combine ingredients - In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, add ricotta, pesto, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Mix the ingredients together until combined. Add the pasta and the pasta water about a quarter cup at a time, and toss until the pasta sauce reaches a silky consistency. (Photo 2 and 3)
- Serve - Serve immediately and top bowls with grated Parmigiano-reggiano or grated parmesan cheese, basil, and pine nuts if desired. (Photo 4)
Pro tip: You don’t have to use all of the pasta water when mixing the ingredients. The amount necessary will depend on the thickness of the pesto.
What to Serve with Creamy Pesto Pasta
This delicious creamy pasta is the perfect weeknight or date night dinner. Typically, we enjoy it on its own or with an appetizer like our Pear and Rocket Salad, Burrata Caprese or Peach Arugula Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata. If you want to make an extra nutritious meal, try it with our Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers or Sautéed Broccolini.
Recipe FAQs
Many recipes use heavy cream to make the pesto creamy. However, we use ricotta cheese instead of heavy cream because it is more flavorful and has the same creamy effect.
We like to use about ½ cup pesto for every 1 lb of pasta. However you can use a little more pesto to make the pasta extra saucy.
We love pesto pasta on its own with some toasted pine nuts, but it is also delicious with so many other foods. We love it with blistered cherry tomatoes, meat, or veggies. There are tons of delicious possibilities!
Yes! Pesto may reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In order to make this recipe healthier, reduce the amount of ricotta you use or omit it all together.
Yes! While it may be tempting to go with store-bought pesto, homemade pesto is both tastier and healthier. It also only takes 5 minutes to make!
Equipment
To make this creamy pasta recipe you will need a measuring cup; a non stick pan or standard skillet to toast pine nuts; knife; cutting board; braiser or dutch oven; a cheese grater; a tongs; a wooden spoon; and a serving bowl. If you make your own pesto, you will also need a blender or food processor.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover creamy pesto pasta sauce and pasta for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. In order to reheat, simply place the desired amount of leftover pasta in a braiser or dutch oven. Then reheat the pasta over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot.
Cooking tips
- Salt the pasta water - Make sure you salt the pasta water so the pasta noodles will be extra tasty.
- Mix the sauce well - Before serving the pasta, make sure the sauce is well mixed in with the pasta noodles so the sauce coats each piece of pasta.
- Remix the pesto - If you store and refrigerate leftover pesto separately, be sure to mix it again before using it. Otherwise the ingredients can separate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Serve pasta with bread - Enjoy this pesto pasta recipe with a delicious baguette or roll to dip in the pesto sauce. In Italian, this is called "fare la scarpetta," or "make the little shoe."
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Creamy Pesto Pasta Without Cream
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 Tongs
- 1 frying pan optional
Ingredients
Creamy Pesto Pasta
- 1 lb pasta
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts optional
- 1 cup ricotta
- 8 tablespoon homemade pesto or store-bought pesto plus more depending on the shape of the pasta
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- kosher salt or sea salt plus more taste
- parmigiano-reggiano grated
- basil for garnish optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta - In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta to the water and cook until al dente per the packaging instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.1 lb pasta, kosher salt or sea salt
- Toast pine nuts - To toast pine nuts, heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the pan and stir the pine nuts until they turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the nuts from the pan and set aside.2 tablespoon pine nuts
- Combine ingredients - In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, add ricotta, pesto, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Mix the ingredients together until combined. Add the pasta and the pasta water about a quarter cup at a time, and toss until the pasta sauce reaches a silky consistency. Note: You don’t have to use all of the pasta water and the amount necessary will depend on the thickness of the pesto.1 cup ricotta, 8 tablespoon homemade pesto or store-bought pesto, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, kosher salt or sea salt
- Serve - Serve immediately and top bowls with parmigiano-reggiano, basil, and pine nuts if desired.parmigiano-reggiano, basil for garnish
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover pesto pasta pesto for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. In order to reheat the pasta, place the desired amount of leftover pasta in a braiser or dutch oven. Then reheat the pasta over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot.
- Salt the pasta water - Make sure to salt the pasta water so the pasta noodles will be extra tasty.
- Mix the sauce well - Before serving the pasta, make sure the sauce is well mixed with the pasta noodles so the sauce covers each piece of pasta.
- Remix the pesto - If you store and refrigerate leftover pesto separately, be sure to remix it before using it. Otherwise the ingredients can separate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Serve pasta with bread - Enjoy this pasta recipe with a delicious baguette or roll to dip in the pesto sauce. In Italian, this is called "fare la scarpetta," or "make the little shoe."
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