Ricotta Pasta Bake
Updated Oct. 26, 2023
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1small to medium lemon
- 2pints cherry or other small tomatoes
- 1yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4sprigs of sage, oregano, thyme or basil (optional)
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1pound shells, orecchiette or tubular pasta
- 1cup panko bread crumbs
- 1cup/3½ ounces grated Parmesan
- 1pound whole-milk ricotta
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
650 calories; 21 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 93 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 763 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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Preparation
- 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.
- 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.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until 1 minute short of al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1½ 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).
- 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.
Private Notes
Comments
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.
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.
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!!
I made this as written. It came out very dry and bland, although the lemon dominated. Will not make again.
This was delish! I added a pound of Italian sausage (half regular, half hot). Browned it while the pasta cooked and added into the mix before baking. Came out fantastically.
We made this with some tweaks suggested by other comments. I added a partially drained jar of marinated artichoke hearts + a crushed garlic clove to the the tomato mixture before roasting. Instead of herb sprigs, I chopped up the herbs and also added to tomatoes. I added 1/2 tsp dried italian seasoning to the panko mixture. Everything else was according to the recipe. It was overall easy and we really enjoyed it.