This tomato ricotta pasta comes together in less than 15 minutes using flavorful summer produce like fresh tomatoes, basil, and spinach.
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“Love this recipe. I made with whole wheat spaghetti and it turned out great.” -Jane, FoodieCrush reader
Fresh Tomatoes Are the Star of This Quick and Easy Pasta
I’ve grown tomatoes in my garden for years. But the past few seasons have seen a steady downward spiral of yield thanks to my neighbor’s growing trees and some dastardly devilish varmints who snatch up the lessening fruit they finally yield. My tomato crop at the end of summer has turned into a total bummer crop instead of my oh-so-wishful bumper crop.
But I’m not going to let my less-than-stellar farmer skills get in the way of eating fresh tomatoes however I can. Between farmers markets and the farmer down the street, I’m keeping flush with my tomato loving ways.
This simple pasta is one of my current favorite lunch or dinner recipes, and one reason I’m bound to this end-of-summer crop. It’s a bit like a caprese pasta but uses ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella.
The “sauce” is made with fresh tomatoes steeped in olive oil and garlic then added to the warm pasta, so there’s hardly any cooking to do at all. It’s the perfect recipe for when you’re short on time but still want real good, real food on the table.
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta — You can use any pasta shape or variety you like. I opted for whole wheat farfalle, but spaghetti, rigatoni, shells, etc. may all be used.
- Fresh tomatoes — Again, just use what you’ve got. During summer’s harvest, or even during winter time, I like the medium size cocktail tomatoes for this no-cook pasta sauce. They come in clusters on the vine and taste extra juicy and sweet. If you’re using a regular, homegrown garden variety tomato, make sure they’re cut into large chunks to make eating easier.
- Fresh spinach — Can be swapped for chopped kale or another dark leafy green. Arugula and swiss chard would add a particularly nice and spunky bite.
- Garlic — For the fresh garlic, either mince or press the garlic, just make sure you don’t cook it too hot in the olive oil or it will become bitter.
- Ricotta cheese — Full fat, please! Lower fat varieties tend to split and taste watery.
- Parmesan cheese — Freshly grated Parm will melt into the sauce without clumping up.
- Fresh basil — Add the basil last so it doesn’t lose its vibrant flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil — Don’t swap the olive oil with another oil because it’s a key ingredient in the fresh tomato sauce.
How to Make This Tomato Ricotta Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Whole wheat pasta takes a little longer to cook, but go ahead and drain it from the water when it still has quite a bit of bite.
- Meanwhile, build your sauce. The garlic needs to cook for a few minutes in hot oil before the tomatoes can go into the skillet. You’re not looking for the tomatoes to totally soften and break down, you just want them to warm up.
- Add the pasta. For the most flavor, I toss the whole wheat pasta directly into the pan with the fresh tomatoes, spinach, and garlic so it can cook right along with it, soaking up all the flavors. Just a few minutes together will do the trick.
Heidi’s Tip: Add a tablespoon or two of reserved pasta water at this stage if you like a more saucy pasta.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan, torn basil leaves, and freshly ground black pepper and more ricotta if desired. (You bet I desire.)
Swaps and Additions
- Add browned Italian sausage, ground beef or turkey, shredded chicken, or another protein of choice
- Swap the basil with another fresh herb like rosemary or oregano
- Use mascarpone instead of ricotta
- Replace the spinach with kale, chard, or arugula
- Add thinly sliced zucchini, red onion, bell pepper, or another favorite veggie
Side Dish Ideas
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Fresh Tomato Ricotta Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat pasta , (I use farfalle)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 1 pound cocktail size tomatoes , (about 8-10 tomatoes), quartered
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- ⅓ cup fresh basil , slivered
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese , grated
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Cook the whole wheat pasta in salted water 1 minute less than the package directions, so pasta is done, but al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.8 ounces whole wheat pasta
- Infuse the oil. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the minced garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 5 minutes until oil becomes fragrant, stirring often. Be sure to watch the garlic so it doesn’t burn.⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 cloves garlic
- Warm the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes with any juice and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.1 pound cocktail size tomatoes, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Build the sauce. Add the drained hot pasta to the tomatoes. Add the fresh spinach and toss until spinach begins to wilt. Add the fresh basil leaves, grated parmesan cheese and more kosher salt and pepper to taste. If the pasta seems dry, add more olive oil or 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water to the pasta mixture.2 cups fresh spinach leaves, ⅓ cup fresh basil, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Finish and serve. Top with dollops of fresh ricotta, drizzle with more olive oil, and serve warm.1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Summer Pasta Recipes to Try
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Jane Boice
Love this recipe. I made with whole wheat spaghetti and it turned out great.
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Jane–we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Diana
This is SO good! I added some shrimp but forgot the ricotta
But it was still awesome! Will use the ricotta next time.
Hayley
We’re so happy you liked it, Diana! Also, shrimp sounds like a yummy addition!
Jillian
Absolutely delicious! My husband and I loved this recipe. We added some mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Will definitely make this again. Thank ypu for sharing!
Happy to hear you both enjoyed :)
Kathryn Miller
Cannot wait to try this. My daughter only eats parmesan cheese and mexican cheese dip. Can I leave out the ricotta?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
You sure could!
Aman kumar
Yummyyyyyyy. … Best pasta of my entire life.
Mark
Thank you for your great post Loved it!!
Can U post how to make Chow-min at home
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks. Great idea, I will work on that!
Vicki Wilson
Yum! I’m a single, recent retiree and am looking for fresh, flavorful meal ideas that I can easily adjust to serve just me. I made this today and am super pleased – didn’t have farfalle so subbed orichetti and I used a spinach/baby kale salad mix I had on hand. It was delicious!
Sometimes I cook extra of a meal to reheat the next day – this is so quick and easy that it won’t be a big deal to make it fresh.
2pots2cook
Absolutely adorable and fitting to our super hot weather. Thank you so much and have a nice day :-)
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Enjoy!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks so much!
James Goacher
Is this Hot/warm/cool/cold or any of the above. I can see it is cooked but is it serve hwcc or any?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Any of the above!
Ana
Made this for dinner the other night and I love how easy and fast this recipe is. Perfect for a weeknight and very flavorful. Thanks for the recipe!
Kerry
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for posting! I added a few extras at the last minute: (1) pine nuts; (2) arugula; and (3) touch of truffle olive oil. =)
Thank you for all the great recipes!!
Cara @ The Little Blonde Baker
This recipe looks delicious. I will be pinning for sure! My fiance and I were just talking about how we can’t wait to have space to have a garden and grow tomatoes! Tiny apartment living is over for us…LOL
James Goacher
I cannot imagine why you would think we would have the remotest interest in a Tomato Pasta with your togetherness introduction :-).
I am not a particularly social person but I have good neighbours, at least I did six months ago. No idea now. I see fleeting glimpses of them. I am getting on a bit and am a “Grumpy old man next door” by design – with a twinkle in the eye. I am vunerable but I am looking forward to young lasses holding the door open for me again, being first on the Bus unless there is some other biddy there grumpier than I am :-D.
Think I will go and look at that recipe now seeing as I am here.
Bah Humbug!