Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Peas
⏱ 10 min prep · 🍳 20 min · 🍽 4
Lemon ricotta pasta with peas is the answer for the Tuesday nobody had time to shop: a bag of peas from the freezer, a tub of ricotta and a lemon from the fridge door are the whole ingredient list. Twenty minutes from filling the pot to sitting down, and everyone eats the same plate — no side negotiations, no separate kid meal.
Because the peas are frozen and everything else lives in the pantry, this dinner doesn't care what week of the year it is. It works on a grey February night as well as a light evening in June, making it a genuine "skip the store" entry in the weekly plan rather than something built around whatever's fresh.
Lemon zest gives just enough brightness that even some choosier kid palates go along with it, while ricotta turns into a creamy sauce with zero cream. Slot it in as the lighter midweek plate between two heavier meat dinners — it earns its place on repeat.
Ingredients
- 400.000 g pasta
- 200.000 g erter, frosne
- 250.000 g ricotta
- 1.000 stk sitron
- 0.500 dl olivenolje
- 1.000 ts timian, tørket
- 1.000 ts basilikum
- 1.000 ts hvitløkspulver
- salt
- pepper
- 30.000 g pinjekjerner, ristet
- parmesan, revet
Instructions
Bland ricotta med sitronskall, sitronsaft, olivenolje og krydder.
Kok pasta i rikelig saltet vann.
Tilsett frosne erter siste minutt av koketiden.
Sil av pasta og spar 1 dl av kokevannet.
Rør ricottablandingen inn i varm pasta og tilsett kokevannet gradvis til du får en kremete saus.
Server toppet med revet parmesan, pepper og ristede pinjekjerner.
This recipe earns its keep on the evenings when after-school pickup runs late and dinner still has to be on the table in under half an hour. It's essentially a one-pot job — the ricotta gets stirred together while the pasta cooks — so there's little cleanup and not much that can go wrong even when a kid "helps" measure out the peas. Peas give a familiar, faintly sweet note most kids eat without a fight, and the lemon zest stays subtle enough not to take over; adults can always brighten their own plate with extra lemon juice or chili flakes at the table. Because everything comes from the freezer and the pantry, we pencil this one in as the no-shopping-night dinner on the weekly plan without checking what's in season first.
FAQ
How long does lemon ricotta pasta keep in the fridge?
Plan on 2 days in an airtight container — the ricotta sauce is fresh dairy and doesn't hold much longer than that. It separates a bit once cold, so reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or milk while stirring, rather than blasting it in the microwave. It won't be quite as creamy as fresh, but it makes a solid, fast lunch the next day.
Can I freeze this pasta dish?
We don't recommend freezing it fully assembled — the ricotta and olive oil split and turn grainy on thawing. If you want something in the freezer for a busy night, cook the pasta fresh and freeze just the peas with a little grated parmesan, then stir in cold ricotta right before serving. Raw peas themselves don't need freezing here anyway — they're already frozen in the recipe and go straight into boiling water.
Can I swap the ricotta for something else?
Yes — cottage cheese blitzed smooth in a blender or food processor works well, as does light cream cheese, both giving a slightly tangier sauce. For a lighter, budget weeknight version, plain Greek yogurt is a fine substitute too, though cut the olive oil back a touch since yogurt is thinner than ricotta. Skip cottage cheese that hasn't been blended smooth — the lumpy texture doesn't tend to land well with most kids.
How do I adapt this for picky kids?
Set the kids' portions aside before stirring in the lemon zest, then mix the zest only into the adults' share of the ricotta — you keep the mild, creamy base flavor without the extra sharpness on their plates. Serve pine nuts and extra parmesan on the side instead of mixed in, so each kid can choose for themselves. Some kids also do better with just pasta and peas stirred together and a lighter hand on the ricotta — hold back a plain portion for them before adding the rest of the sauce.
Can I prep anything ahead for a calmer weeknight?
Mix the ricotta with lemon zest, lemon juice and seasoning the night before and keep it chilled — that leaves only boiling the pasta and peas once everyone's home. Grate the parmesan and toast the pine nuts at the same time, and the actual cooking takes under ten minutes from turning on the stove to sitting down. That makes it a solid after-practice or after-activity dinner when the gap between pickup and bedtime is tight.
Does lemon ricotta pasta work in a lunchbox the next day?
Yes — cold or room-temperature lemon ricotta pasta holds up well in a lunchbox for daycare, preschool or school, and the flavors actually come through more once it's had time to sit. Pack the pine nuts in a separate small container so they stay crisp instead of going soft overnight in the pasta. Try to avoid overheating it in a microwave at school or work, since the sauce splits more easily under high heat than it does with gentle stovetop reheating at home.