Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta
There are some meals that just feel like a warm hug in a bowl, and this Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta is undoubtedly one of them. It’s the kind of dinner we turn to after a long day, when all we want is something deeply satisfying that doesn’t demand hours in the kitchen. This recipe was inspired by a dish I had at a little restaurant in Italy, tucked away on a cobbled side street in Tuscany. The simplicity of their ricotta sauce was a revelation – it was rich and luxurious without being heavy, clinging to every piece of pasta perfectly.
What we’re creating here is a beautifully balanced dish. The star is the ricotta sauce, which we elevate with a little garlic, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a generous grating of Parmesan cheese. It creates a velvety coating for the pasta and tender pieces of chicken. Tender chicken, wilted spinach, and a hint of warmth from red pepper flakes round everything out. It’s a complete one-pan sauce that comes together while the pasta boils.
This is a fantastic meal for a weeknight dinner, yet it feels special enough to serve when you have friends over. It’s a straightforward recipe that delivers impressive results, and it always gets compliments in my house. If you’re searching for a new addition to your chicken dinner rotation, this ricotta chicken pasta is one you’ll come back to again and again.
Recipe Overview
This recipe delivers a luscious, creamy pasta sauce without a drop of heavy cream. The magic lies in using good-quality ricotta cheese, thinned with a little chicken stock and starchy pasta water to create a sauce that’s both light and indulgent. After a few tests, I found that using full-fat ricotta is essential for the best texture; low-fat versions can sometimes result in a grainy sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta
- Luxuriously Creamy Texture: The ricotta and Parmesan melt together with starchy pasta water to create a genuinely velvety sauce that coats every single piece of pasta. It’s rich but not heavy.
- Ready in Under 30 Minutes: The sauce is made in the time it takes to boil the pasta, making this an excellent choice for a busy weeknight when you want a proper meal without the fuss.
- Wonderfully Adaptable: This recipe is a great starting point. You can stir in roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or sautéed mushrooms along with the spinach. Or, for a bit of crunch, top it with toasted pine nuts.
- Great for a Relaxed Evening: It works beautifully for a cosy night in or a casual dinner with friends. It feels a little bit elegant but is completely stress-free to prepare. For another great family meal, check out our Stuffed Bell Peppers With Turkey Recipe Healthy.
- Family Tested and Approved: I make this at least once a fortnight now – my kids always ask for it. They love how cheesy it is, and I love that they’re getting a good portion of spinach without any complaints!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this recipe, the quality of the ricotta really shines through. I recommend using a good quality, full-fat tub ricotta, like Galbani or a similar brand from your local deli. It will give you the smoothest, most decadent sauce.
- 400g dried pasta (rigatoni, penne, or fusilli work well)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 500g), diced into 2-3 cm pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, adjust to your spice preference)
- 100ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 250g full-fat ricotta cheese
- 80g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 150g fresh spinach
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- A small handful of fresh basil, torn, for garnish
Marcus’s Tip: Don’t be shy with the Parmesan! A freshly grated block of Parmigiano-Reggiano has a nutty, salty flavour that you just can’t get from the pre-grated kind. It makes a huge difference to the depth of the sauce.
How to Make Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta
We’ll start by cooking the chicken and building our sauce in one pan while the pasta cooks separately. The final step is bringing it all together with a splash of that magical pasta water.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve about 250ml (1 cup) of the starchy pasta water.
- Sauté the Chicken: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Season the diced chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate.
- Build the Flavour Base: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, until it softens and becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Create the Sauce: Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon – this is where so much flavour is. Let it simmer for a minute, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the Cheeses: Add the ricotta, grated Parmesan, and lemon zest to the pan. Stir continuously until the cheeses have melted into the stock to form a smooth, creamy sauce. Season with a little salt and a good amount of black pepper. What works best for me is keeping the heat low here to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy.
- Wilt the Spinach: Add the fresh spinach to the sauce in handfuls, stirring until it has completely wilted. This should only take a minute or two.
- Combine Everything: Return the cooked chicken (and any juices from the plate) to the pan. Add the drained pasta. Stir everything together gently to coat the pasta and chicken in the sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Add a splash of the reserved pasta water (start with about 60ml) to the pan and stir vigorously. The starch in the water will help the sauce cling to the pasta, making it extra glossy and creamy. Continue adding a little more pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh basil. Serve immediately, topped with extra grated Parmesan.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control is Key: When you add the ricotta and Parmesan, make sure the heat is on low. High heat can cause dairy, especially ricotta, to separate or become grainy. A gentle heat ensures a silky smooth sauce every time.
- The Secret Step: Reserved Pasta Water: Don’t ever skip reserving your pasta water! I learned that this starchy, salty liquid is the key to creating a restaurant-quality sauce. As explained by the experts at Serious Eats, the emulsified starch helps bind the sauce to the pasta, creating a cohesive, non-greasy finish.
- Make-Ahead Prep: You can dice the chicken, chop the onion, and mince the garlic a day in advance and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. This makes the final cooking process even faster.
- Storage and Reheating: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add the pasta to a pan over a low heat with a splash of milk or chicken stock to loosen the sauce and bring back its creaminess.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Colander
- Large, deep frying pan or Dutch oven
- Tongs or a pasta fork
- Grater for the cheese and lemon
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the Pan: When cooking the chicken, make sure it’s in a single layer with some space around each piece. If you overcrowd the pan, the chicken will steam instead of browning, and you’ll miss out on that delicious caramelised flavour. Cook it in two batches if necessary.
- Using High Heat for the Sauce: As mentioned, simmering a ricotta-based sauce on high heat is a recipe for a grainy texture. Once the aromatics are cooked, keep the heat on low for the rest of the process to ensure a smooth, stable sauce.
- Forgetting to Salt the Pasta Water: Your pasta water should be “as salty as the sea.” This is the only chance you get to season the pasta itself from the inside out. It makes a significant difference to the overall flavour of the finished chicken dinner.
What to Serve With Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta
This creamy pasta dish is quite satisfying on its own, but a few simple sides can round out the meal beautifully. Here are a few of my favourite pairings:
- Crusty Garlic Bread: Ideal for mopping up every last bit of that delicious ricotta sauce from the bottom of the bowl.
- A Simple Green Salad: A fresh, crisp salad with a sharp lemon vinaigrette provides a lovely, light contrast to the richness of the pasta.
- Drink Pairing: A chilled glass of a crisp Italian white wine like Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc works wonderfully to cut through the creaminess of the sauce.
- A Light Dessert: After a satisfying pasta dish, something bright and zesty like our Lemon Crumb Bars Recipe would be a fantastic finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve about 250ml (1 cup) of the starchy pasta water.
- Sauté the Chicken: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Season the diced chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate.
- Build the Flavour Base: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, until it softens and becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Create the Sauce: Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon – this is where so much flavour is. Let it simmer for a minute, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the Cheeses: Add the ricotta, grated Parmesan, and lemon zest to the pan. Stir continuously until the cheeses have melted into the stock to form a smooth, creamy sauce. Season with a little salt and a good amount of black pepper. What works best for me is keeping the heat low here to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy.
- Wilt the Spinach: Add the fresh spinach to the sauce in handfuls, stirring until it has completely wilted. This should only take a minute or two.
- Combine Everything: Return the cooked chicken (and any juices from the plate) to the pan. Add the drained pasta. Stir everything together gently to coat the pasta and chicken in the sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Add a splash of the reserved pasta water (start with about 60ml) to the pan and stir vigorously. The starch in the water will help the sauce cling to the pasta, making it extra glossy and creamy. Continue adding a little more pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh basil. Serve immediately, topped with extra grated Parmesan.
Notes
I hope you enjoy making this Creamy Ricotta Chicken Pasta as much as we enjoy eating it. It’s a truly comforting meal that feels a bit special without any complicated steps. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below – I love hearing from you!
– Marcus
