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This simple One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta is the perfect pasta dinner. Super quick, easy, and so delicious! Sun-dried tomatoes are cooked in oil with Spanish paprika and chili flakes then tossed together with hot penne pasta, plenty of parmesan, and fresh herbs. When the hot pasta is tossed with the creamy whipped ricotta cheese it melts into the most delicious sauce. It’s so delicious, and one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love.
Truth is, I’ve been having a hard time with recipes the last few days. I’m so excited when I start out cooking, but by the end of the day, nothing seems to be working out just right. These days happen from time to time, so it’s totally OK, just frustrating. Fortunately, they help me appreciate the great days I have when testing new recipes.
The day I made this pasta was a great day. My first attempt the previous day needed some adjustments. But with a few tweaks, I ended up being so excited to share this recipe!
This pasta is magical. Ok, that’s slightly dramatic, but it’s one of those easy as can be dinners that’s actually so delicious and flavorful.
The details
Seeing as this is a one-pot recipe, it’s pretty straightforward. But there are a few special things I want to point out!
Start with the sun-dried tomatoes. I love using a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are the tomatoes delicious, but I also like to use the oil from the jar in this dish. The oil is always seasoned, so it adds even more flavor. Just make sure it’s extra virgin olive oil.
You’ll want to drain the oil into a large pan, then finely chop the tomatoes.
To the oil, add in some shallots and garlic, then toss in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Now, this next step is key. Cook the tomatoes in the oil until they begin crisping and almost become fried. This will really help to intensify the flavors in the sauce.
After this step, the rest really is simple, simple. Pour in the water, add the pasta, and let the pasta cook. Just make sure to stir the pasta often to avoid any of it sticking to the pan.
Whip the ricotta
While the pasta cooks, I like to whip the ricotta cheese. Just add the ricotta and some lemon to a food processor or blender and puree until it’s super creamy.
Season with salt and that’s that. It’s the easiest, but it makes for the best pasta. And yes, this does technically count as one more thing to wash. But everything else can all be made fully in one pot, so, close enough, right?
Finish the pasta
When the pasta is al dente, stir in all the parmesan and a pat of butter. Stir until super creamy, then remove from the heat.
Then add in all the fresh herbs…immediately the smell of fresh herbs will fill the air.
Swirl the whipped ricotta into either a large serving bowl or individual bowls. Add the hot pasta (it has to be hot), and gently toss with the ricotta.
The heat from the pasta melts the ricotta turning it into the creamiest, most delicious sauce. It makes the pasta SO GOOD.
And all of this deliciousness will happen in under 30 minutes!
Excited to have this recipe in my deck of recipes. It’s pretty perfect any time of the year and everyone really loves it. You could even add chicken for any of your meat-eaters too!
I also like to serve this with arugula or a big green salad. Keep it light and fresh for springtime!
Looking for other one-pot recipes? Here are my favorites:
One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese
French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 412 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (8 ounce) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 small shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon spanish or smoked paprika
- red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- 1. Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large pot or skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes.2. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes turn deep red and are crisping, 3-5 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 8 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, whip the ricotta and lemon in a food processor until creamy. Season with salt. 4. To the pasta, stir in in the parmesan and butter until very creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, parsley, and dill. 3. Swirl the ricotta into a large pasta bowl or individual bowls. Add the hot pasta and lightly toss with the ricotta. Top each bowl with additional herbs and parmesan.
Hi Tieghan! I would like to try this and add ground beef for some protein. Do you recommend cooking that separately or can I also add it to the pot? Thank you!
Hey Angela,
I would cook the meat separately. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Tieghan, I made this for last night’s Iftar/dinner and everyone at the table loved it! It’s so flavorful and comforting to eat, especially after an entire day of fasting. No one missed the meat and they were all happily devouring it. I didn’t make any changes to your recipe, but did increase the overall quantity to 8 servings. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. The ricotta was ?? ?! Thank you for your recipes!
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
This was a fabulous weeknight dinner made with pantry staples! We loved the rich flavor and only 1 pan!
Hey Jody,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
LOVED the flavor and how easy it was with the one pot recipe!! I had one problem though – the pasta didn’t become al dente! I needed to add more water to get it to cook through, which watered down the sauce. Is there a reason this would happen? Should I cover the pot while the pasta cooks or not? Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Rebecka,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! No need to cover the pot, was your heat possibly too high? xTieghan
Hi! So excited to try this!! Have you tried using fresh pasta and if any modifications are needed?
Hey Carolyn,
That will work for you, but you will need to reduce the water, I am not exactly sure by how much since I haven’t tested it. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
A thousand times YEEESSSS! So delicious! My whole family loved it!!
Hi Karen,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge success. I was very at first since I have to use gluten free pasta. This required a little longer time and an extra cup of water. It may have diluted the flavors from the tomato base but once the whipped ricotta mixture, as well as the parmesan and butter were added, the whole dish came together deliciously! I can’t wait to make this again!
Hi Tara,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
Hi! What type of pan are you using here? I’m new to cooking! Just want to buy the essentials ✨ This looks DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Olivia,
I use all Staub products, this actual pot is vintage, but I would use a large dutch oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love that it’s a one pot dish. It’s quick and easy and it had so much flavor! I loved this recipe and will definitely be making it again.
Hi Jennifer,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
If I make again I will cook pasta separately and use whipped feta maybe? The water seems to dilute the flavors you built with the tomato oil.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I hope you will give it another try! xTieghan
Hi there! This looks so delicious!
Just wondering- do I need to drain the pasta? Seems like a lot of water…
Thanks for the info!
Hi Amy,
No need to drain the water:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight, and it is delicious! I followed the recipe with the exception of adding a quarter of pound of fresh mushrooms! Its quick, easy and yummy! Thank you!
Hi Jane,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
I made this last week for family dinner and WOW is it good. I loved everything about this recipe. It was easy to make and delicious. Will be adding this to my recipe book!
Hey Adri,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
My family and I made this dish last night and it was so delicious. We all voted it a keeper!
If it’s helpful to anyone: It took closer to an hour total for us, and there were two of us sharing the tasks.
I had to add water twice because the pasta was not cooked. I’ll had to make adjustments next time (lower heat? Keep lid on?).
We’re considering starting with a bit less oil to cook the shallots and garlic.
This is a keeper and I look forward to making it again! We found it perfect for a Friday night slowly cooking & chatting with a drink.
Thanks !
Virginia
Hi Virginia,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback! I would try lowering your heat next time. xx
This was so easy, fast and delicious. For whatever reason I have not had success with some of the other recipes. But this one was a hit. We are trying to eat more vegetarian and pescatarian….but what is lacking is flavor and variety. This was really flavorful and with the pasta cooked al dente, had a nice “mouth feel” and wasn’t mushy etc.
I made it exactly as you wrote it and it was terrific. A keeper. I wonder if it can be frozen? I made the whole recipe and there are just two of us! I will look in comments to see if anyone else asked.
Hey Missy,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! I probably wouldn’t freeze this one:) Have the best weekend!☀️ xx
I had a similar experience and added extra water, but will lower the heat next time. Overall, my family loved it!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
This is a tasty recipe. I did need to make some tweaks as others mentioned regarding the water. I used my 6 3/4 Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven and I needed to add about a cup and a half more water, plus about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Once the additional water was added, I needed more tomato as a bit of the flavor was lost. Just a heads up if that’s the pot/size you’re using. I know full circular pots may need less. Also I would definitely not add the dill unless you really love the herb. I had some and added a little to one plate and we all thought it seemed out of character for the dish. Personal preference, it just didn’t seem to compliment the flavors as well as the basil/parsley. I supplemented with some oregano. Otherwise a very nice one pot meal that’s very customizable! Thanks!
Hi Melissa,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing your feedback. Have the best weekend!☀️ xx