The Pasta Queen’s 15-Minute Lemon Ricotta Pasta Is My New Weeknight Obsession

The first time I saw the Pasta Queen on Instagram, I was enraptured. How could someone be that enthusiastic about lemons and life? Before I knew it, I had subscribed to the Royal Court of Pasta newsletter and fallen in love with creator Nadia Caterina Munno’s over-the-top Italian persona.

Now, with the help of the Pasta Queen’s recipes, I’m aspiring pasta royalty myself. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is easily her best dish so far. She says it’s touched with the “tears of the gods” (also known as pasta water), and even that lavish description doesn’t do this recipe justice!

How To Make The Pasta Queen’s Lemon Ricotta Pasta

One of the Pasta Queen’s favorite ingredients—bright, juicy lemons from the Amalfi Coast—stars in this recipe’s light and creamy pesto. I’m not royalty yet, so I used regular lemons, along with ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, almonds, and plenty of lemon zest.

Even I was able to achieve a smooth texture after splitting the recipe in half to fit into my three-cup food processor. I had never made a pesto that wasn’t loaded with basil, but I’ve officially leaned into Pesto Summer, in all of its glorious variations.

After a single bite, my boyfriend asked if I had bookmarked this recipe. “This is something special,” he told me. “It’s like what you’d get at a really nice Italian restaurant!” (Like the Pasta Queen, my boyfriend knows flattery goes a long way.)

This recipe is open for add-ins like fresh herbs, steamed vegetables, or roasted chicken. I make this divine lemon ricotta pasta any time I need an Italian vacation in a bowl, even if my adventures only take me as far as the pool in my friends’ backyard.

Tips for Making Lemon Ricotta Pasta

• The Pasta Queen uses the very fun-to-eat Colonne Pompei pasta (aka social media-famous giant fusilli). You can use any sauce-grabbing pasta shape, like farfalle, orecchiette, or cavatelli. I used Rummo Fusillotti, which is like the loose, textured beach wave hair of the fusilli family. 
• Munno’s garnish of whole pink peppercorns brings a bold look to this dish, but don’t be shy about using freshly cracked black pepper instead.
• I added roughly 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to the sauce. Maybe it’s me, but I thought the extra salt helped highlight the umami flavor of the Parmigiano Reggiano and bring out the brightness of the lemon, in honor of Pasta Queen, who wants us to live life to the fullest.