• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Easy Homemade Recipes logo

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Blog
  • About Me
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
×

Home » Recipes » Main Entrées

Published: May 1, 2020 by AmyG Modified On: Feb 28, 2021

Penne Pasta with Tomato Ricotta Sauce

Share via:

7 Shares
  • Facebook 0
  • Pinterest 7
  • Twitter 0

This Penne Pasta with Tomato Ricotta Sauce features a delicious Tomato Ricotta Sauce which is simply a tomato marinara sauce with a little added ingredient called ricotta. And if you have never had ricotta before, let me tell you that some consider it to be a delicacy.

Most people have never even thought of adding an unripened cheese into a tomato sauce. But, this is no different than adding parmesan cheese to a plate of pasta or directly into sauce.

In fact, adding ricotta to a tomato sauce is authentically Italian and delicious!

Jump to:
  • Tips and Tricks to Making Penne Pasta with Ricotta Sauce
  • What is Ricotta Cheese?
  • It Starts With Vine Ripened Tomatoes
  • Pasta and the Finish
  • Other Popular dishes
  • Recipe Details

Tips and Tricks to Making Penne Pasta with Ricotta Sauce

What is Ricotta Cheese?

Ricotta Cheese and Cottage Cheese can be used interchangeably in some recipes.  When cheese is made and separated,  the curds are used to make cottage cheese, while the whey is used to make ricotta.  Both are considered fresh or unripened cheeses and are mild in flavor.

Ricotta is smoother in texture, while cottage cheese is lumpier. In dessert making, you will want to use Ricotta Cheese as the texture is richer, smoother and more appealing.

Some even make their own ricotta cheese by separating the whey from whole milk using an acid like vinegar.  If you are interested in making your own ricotta cheese visit Epicurious here.

Ricotta Pasta
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

It Starts With Vine Ripened Tomatoes

The best Marinara Sauce is made from fresh vine ripened tomatoes. And, if you grow your own that’s even better. My mom is the epiphany of Italian tradition in that she grows her own Tomatoes and when sauce season comes around, she’s out there harvesting, ripening and preserving her home grown tomatoes as a puree.

She shares her jars of pureed tomatoes with me and often I use the pureed tomatoes to make my tomato sauce.  However, when I run out, I resort to store bought tomato puree.

If you decide you want to try to grow your own tomatoes, keep in mind that there are specific tomatoes that are used for making tomato sauce.  In my family, that was the san marzano tomato.  The king of tomato for sauce.  What makes these tomatoes so special is that they are meaty and have very little pulp and seeds.  And usually, you are removing the pulp otherwise the sauce would be too runny.  You want a tomato puree that is thick and meaty for the perfect tomato sauce.

If you decide to buy crushed tomatoes, it may take you a while to find the brand of tomato puree that you like.  Be patient, you will find it. One of my favorite store bought tomato puree  brands is the Aurora Brand, like this one here.  For clarity tomato puree = crushed tomatoes.

Pasta and the Finish

You’ve gone through all this trouble to make your home made tomato sauce. Don’t ruin it by pouring it over soggy pasta.  Always cook your past as directed by the product instructions and remove the pasta when it’s al dente. Al dente means cooked but firm to the bite.

This Tomato Ricotta Sauce is perfect for penne pasta.  But, if you are not into penne, you can pretty much pour it on any type of pasta like spaghetti, orecchiette, gnocchi, linguine, etc... Use your noodle to come up with the perfect pasta compliment to this perfect sauce!

And, of course, top your pasta off with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Oh and by the way don’t buy cheese that comes in a jar in the grocery isle.  All good cheese can be found in the deli-cheese section not on a shelf in an isle.

Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for a maximum of 5 days.

Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.

For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines for further information and resources.

Looking for other lip smacking recipes?  Click here to search the site for some great inspiration.

Other Popular dishes

  • (Rigatoni) Pasta al Forno
  • 8 Great Tasting Pasta Sauce Recipes to Make Tonight
  • How to Make Cheese Manicotti (Cannelloni)
  • The Best Italian Arancini di Riso (Rice Balls)

Try this recipe for Pasta with Ricotta Sauce now or you can PIN it for later.

tomato ricotta sauce

Recipe Details

Ricotta Pasta

Penna Pasta with Tomato Ricotta Sauce

AmyG
This Penne Pasta features a Tomato Ricotta Sauce which is simply a tomato marinara sauce with a little added ingredient called ricotta. And if you have never had ricotta before, let me tell you that some consider it to be a delicacy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Entrées
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 479 kcal

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • 750 ml tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cups fresh ricotta cheese
  • ¼ cups parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 3 fresh basil leaves

Pasta

  • 2 l water for boiling
  • 4 cups penne pasta
  • 2 tbsp salt

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic until brown using olive oil. Add tomato sauce and bring to boil. Add in tomato paste, salt, and basil. Let sauce come to a boil.
    Sauce with Ricotta in a saucepan
  • Take the ricotta and measure out approximately a cup and place it in the saucepan. Using a fork or a spoon break of the ricotta until it is smooth and no longer in clumps. (You can also put the ricotta into a bowl and break it up with a fork before you add it into the saucepan.)
  • Add in parmesan cheese. Stir to mix until well combined. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 40 minutes.
  • When sauce is just about ready boil water in a large pot. Add salt and penne let cook as per package directions (about 8 minutes). Do not over cook remove from water and strain when al dente.
  • Once pasta is strained return the past to the large pot where it came from so that combining the sauce is easier. Add sauce by the ladle and mix to combine. Plate pasta and add more sauce if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of Pasta/SauceCalories: 479kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 20gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 5488mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11g
Keyword easy dinner, pasta, ricotta
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Ricotta Pasta

Share via:

7 Shares
  • Facebook 0
  • Pinterest 7
  • Twitter 0
« Simple Bacon Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Easy Prime Rib Roast »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me

Picture of Amy in the Kitchen

Hey, I'm Amy! And I'm so happy you're here!! So many of my favorite memories in life seem to take place around the table, especially when surrounded by the people I love. And of course, all the better when nourished by some seriously delicious food.

Stick around and explore the site to get great ideas.

Learn more about me →

This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Get a Free Recipe eBook!

What are you waiting for? Sign up now and get a free Recipe ebook with 5 recipes using puff pasty !

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Check your spam folder to make sure that you mark our emails safe.

.

Recent Recipes

  • Homemade Lemon Cranberry Muffins
  • Super Bowl Finger Foods You Need
  • Sweet and Savory Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Rolls
  • 6 Simple Steps to Making the Perfect Charcuterie Board

Affiliate Links Message

*This page may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

  • Paleo
  • Whole30
  • Desserts and Snacks
  • Main Entrées

Get a Free Recipe eBook!

What are you waiting for? Sign up now and get a free Recipe ebook with 5 recipes using puff pasty !

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Check your spam folder to make sure that you mark our emails safe.

.
  • Poultry
  • Meatless
  • Seafood
  • Beef

About Me

Picture of Amy in the Kitchen

Hey, I'm Amy! And I'm so happy you're here!! So many of my favorite memories in life seem to take place around the table, especially when surrounded by the people I love. And of course, all the better when nourished by some seriously delicious food.

Stick around and explore the site to get great ideas.

Learn more about me →

This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Get a Free Recipe eBook!

What are you waiting for? Sign up now and get a free Recipe ebook with 5 recipes using puff pasty !

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Check your spam folder to make sure that you mark our emails safe.

.

Recent Recipes

  • Veal Parmigiana for the Perfect Veal Sandwich
  • Calabrese Pitta Mpigliata, a Christmas Dessert
  • Slow Cooked Oxtail Soup Recipe
  • Bocconcini Tomato Salad

Affiliate Links Message

*This page may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

  • Paleo
  • Whole30
  • Desserts and Snacks
  • Main Entrées

Get a Free Recipe eBook!

What are you waiting for? Sign up now and get a free Recipe ebook with 5 recipes using puff pasty !

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Check your spam folder to make sure that you mark our emails safe.

.
  • Poultry
  • Meatless
  • Seafood
  • Beef

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Me

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Reach Out

  • Contact
  • Work With Me

Copyright © 2022 Easy Homemade Recipes
Cook'd Pro using the Feast Theme Plugin