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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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 post was originally published on March 14, 2022
I made this on Friday and we wanted to add chicken so I pounded the chicken (breast and thighs) dipped them in flour and then pan fried with a little olive oil. I served the pasta in big individual bowls the way you suggested and then put the chicken on top. It was delicious!!I’ll be making this again, with or without chicken!!
Hey Karen,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Restaurant quality amazingness! The flavors are incredible. So yummy! My family loved it.
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Everything about it is perfect—clear instructions, easy to make, and flavorful ingredients. I’m looking forward to making this pasta again soon.
Hey Janice,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
I am going to try this with gnocchi. I think it will be fabulous!
I hope you love the recipe Jade!
Loved this recipe for a work night! I added some broccoli and cooked down some spinach that was going old to add some veggies to the mix. 🙂
Hey Erin,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
I have to admit i was skeptical about the paprika. But This was delicious! I used my Dutch oven which was the perfect size and I did have to add a tiny bit more water but not much. I also had to add a tad of salt (I’m not typically an over salter) maybe my parm wasn’t salty enough. Easy & delicious for a gloomy Sunday in CT. Thank you for the recipe.
Hey Francesca,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
“It’s a keeper!” was my husband’s comment about this recipe. I agree! I tweaked the amount of water to cook the pasta (I used gemelli) and whipped the ricotta and lemon with my hand mixer (too much trouble to lug out the food processor). It seems like all the HBH recipes I try are keepers! This one especially!
Hey Barbara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
Absolutely delicious. Good thing I doubled the recipe.
Hey Quentin,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
I loved this recipe, such a unique blend of flavors. Thanks for another fabulous recipe! After reading other reviews I would note the amount of water was perfect when I made this and it would have been too much if I added more. Definitely start with the three and a half cups and only add more if needed (there may be differences based on stove, pot/pan used, and the local ambient conditions).
Hey Nicole,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
I always love the combination of flavors you come up with for your recipes. This one almost had a mole flavor with the crisped sun dried tomatoes. Not a favorite flavor for me. I’m hoping adding extra cooked penne I had in the fridge will tone down the roasted bitter flavor for the leftovers. All I can think is that the Whole Foods 365 smoked paprika was too much because my tomatoes looked just like the photo when I cooked them in the oil.
Hi there,
So sorry this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!! xTieghan
This pasta was a winner! So delicious and easy! I used whole wheat penne and part skim ricotta and reduced butter to 1tbsp. I don’t normally make pasta but this looked so yummy and easy and I couldn’t resist trying it since it was all in one pot. Will make again for sure!
Hi Dina,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
Easily one of my favorite recipes that I’ve tried from HBH. I burned the sun dried tomatoes…too much chatting, not enough cooking so I had to replace with roasted red pepper being as though I was out of the tomatoes. Added ground sausage. So so good. That ricotta makes the dish!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
Made this today and it was so delicious!!
Thanks
Hey Rawan,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Tieghan – another hit that’s even better as leftovers the next day. This was really good. An easy one pot meal (I guess the whipped ricotta needs the food processor) that has nice, subtle flavors. The ricotta is so extra, but SO good. I used half rigatoni and half whole wheat rotini and the amount of water was just right. I didnt have to add any. I’ve never tried cooking pasta that way before trying your recipes, but I like the method! Pizza pasta a la vodka was my first experience. Delish.
Hey Cindy,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Made this tonight for our Lenten dinner and the whole family loved it. Thank you!
Hey Tracy,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan