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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.
This was delicious and easy. 5 Stars!! Thanks!!!!!
Hi Mara,
That’s great!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xxT
This recipe tastes amazing! The mixture of flavors are delightful, and it has such a rustic feel to it. I had to keep adding small amounts of water since the pasta was hard after the 8 min cook time. So the cook time for me was about 15 mins to reach al dente. I added a bit more tomato oil, salt and paprika as it cooked longer. Such a great recipe!
Hey Anastasia,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was a winner! xxT
The only reason I gave this 4 versus 5 stars is because I cut the recipe in half, used the same size skillet called for in the recipe and it took almost 30 minutes for the pasta to cook. Perhaps I should have used a smaller skillet?
Also, my pasta turned a dark brown color.
It was definitely yummy.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Sorry to hear your pasta to awhile to cook! Your heat might have been too hight. xTieghan
This pasta dish wash amazing!! Made it for Easter as a side dish and it was completely gone. Everyone loved it.
Hey Suzanne,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was a winner! xxT
This is a great recipe to make your own! I added italian sausage and mushrooms pulsed in the food processor (cooked in the drained sun dried tomato oil). I cooked the pasta separately and right before draining added a bag of spinach to wilt. In doing so realized this would also be a great recipe to add brocolli next time! Only note is I’d recommend adding lemon juice a bit at a time … I prefer a slightly more airy ricotta than this recipe results in with 2 tbsp lemon juice.
Hey Katie,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Have the best week!? xT
This was delicious and easy..totally recommend, I cooked the pasta a little longer was al dente
Hey Jackie,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xx
Quite tasty! Took a bit longer to make, but I find most of the recipes here do. We all enjoyed the mosh of flavors in this dish!
Hi Sindy,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Sorry this took you longer than expected. Have the best weekend:) xx
So good and super simple to put together. Added ground turkey sausage for protein. Will be a part of our regular summer rotation!!
Hey Nicolette,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out! ☀️xx
This was amazing! Making it for the second time!
Hey Michelle,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out! ☀️xx
This recipe is a 10/10. My toddler and vegetarian husband both absolutely loved it. It will definitely go into our regular rotation (the Irish Pub Sandwiches have been there for years.) It’s also very easy to just hand-whip the ricotta and lemon juice if you don’t want to dirty a food processor. Thanks so much!
Hey Jessica,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxT
I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it missed the mark. I had to add an extra two cups of water to get the pasta to al dente. Maybe that watered down the flavors making it too bland. Also, I’m not sure a recipe can be one pot if you have to clean a food processor too. I lovc so many of Tieghan’s recipes, but this one won’t make it into the regular rotation.
Hi there,
So sorry hear the recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Let me know if I can help at all! xx
I made this and it’s de-lish – but my sundried tomatoes didn’t get crispy. Any advice?
I made a couple of adjustments for my family of 7:
I started with a pound of 93/7 ground sirloin and then added the shallots, garlic and tomatoes from there.
I cooked the pasta separately: added 2/3 c of the reserve water to the sauce, drained the pasta and whipped the ricotta and lemon right into the hot drained pasta, and then added it all into the sauce.
Super delicious!
Hey Cassie,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you!! xxT
Hi Jill,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! They may have just needed to cook longer:) xxT
Made this last night for dinner! Was delicious! Definitely will make again especially when my college student gets home! Not only was it easy and tasty but it made the house smell wonderful! Yum!
Hi Pam,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ?Tieghan
My family loved this recipe, so rich in flavor! We used GF pasta and needed to add a cup of water after it cooked down because the pasta was still hard, otherwise did not change a thing. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hi Sia,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Once again, your recipe has given me all of the confidence in the world in the kitchen and allowed me to create something amazing!!! THANK YOU! My 3.5 year old devoured it!!! You’re a genius.
Hey Jennifer,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! Thanks for your kind message! xTieghan