Easy One-Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Mushrooms
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A quick and easy weeknight dish that can be ready in just half an hour
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ pack (8 oz.) short shaped pasta
  • 6 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil (divided)
  • 8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup full fat Ricotta cheese, at room temperature
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or, Grana Padano cheese), grated and packed
  • 1 lemon – zest only
  • ¼ TBSP. fresh parsley, minced
  • --- more Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving
  • --- drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Bring water to a boil in a medium, wide-mouth pot. Once it is boiling, add a generous amount of salt to the water and stir in the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente, checking two-three minutes before the cooking time on the package says that it is ready.
  2. While the pasta cooks, clean and slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and set both aside.
  3. When the pasta is ready, reserve one cup of hot cooking water and drain the pasta. Empty the hot pasta into a bowl and toss with two TBSP. of the olive oil.
  4. Without washing the pot, return it to the stove and, over medium heat, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry-sauté for a few minutes stirring frequently, to allow the moisture of the mushrooms to evaporate. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and continue cooking until the mushrooms are golden brown. Two minutes before the mushrooms are done, stir in the garlic and season it with salt, pepper, and the red pepper flakes (if using) then cook until soft.
  5. While the mushrooms cook, start preparing the Ricotta cheese sauce. In a small bowl, blend the Ricotta and Parmigiano cheeses with the lemon zest. Set aside.
  6. When the mushrooms are done, return the cooked pasta and ½ cup of the reserved water to the pot and stir to combine. Remove the pot from the heat then stir in the cheese mixture and the fresh parsley. Give it another good mix and, if it looks dry, add some more of the cooking water to loosen up the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve at once with some more Parmigiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/easy-one-pot-pasta-with-ricotta-and-mushrooms/