Creamy Rigatoni with Ricotta Sauce
The cookbook Naples at Table by Arthur Schwartz features authentic, old-school Neapolitan recipes, and its creamy rigatoni with ricotta sauce is one of my favorites. With tangy tomatoes, creamy ricotta, and sweet basil, this pasta is divine to dig into!
Recipe Mood: Authentic Italian
Indulgence Level: Medium
Effort Level: Easy
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Ingredient-Stretching Tip: If you have extra Pecorino Romano on hand, make this linguine aglio e olio with roasted garlic, these classic Italian meatballs, or these Italian peppers with olives and breadcrumbs.
Ricotta cheese. So creamy. So dreamy. And because of its mild flavor, it makes a great addition to many foods, especially pasta. This recipe for creamy rigatoni with ricotta sauce comes from the cookbook Naples at Table, which I purchased in the early aughts and remains part of my collection. This may be the first recipe I made from it, and it’s also the one I’ve made the most.
The only deviation from the original is that I add a little more ricotta (because why not?) and use one of my marinara sauce recipes instead of referring to the one in the cookbook. If you’re looking for an easy dinner option (especially if you already have some marinara sauce prepared), consider this one.
I think the only other thing worth mentioning here is that the cookbook recipe suggests adding freshly ground black pepper upon serving. Sure, ground black pepper is nothing revolutionary, but I always do it here. For some reason (maybe it’s the contrast with the sweet ricotta, tomatoes, and basil), a generous sprinkling of it makes this dish even more divine.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Rigatoni with Ricotta Sauce
Pure comfort food: When is creamy pasta not comfort food?
Doesn’t require many ingredients: That makes it a relatively quick and easy meal for weeknight dinners.
Sort of a dressed-down, no-frills baked ziti: Maybe I’m stretching things a bit here, but you get the idea.
Key Ingredients
- Canned Whole Tomatoes: I recommend whole tomatoes vs. diced tomatoes because I think they retain their flavor better.
- Whole-Milk Ricotta: Ensure you use whole-milk as it’s richer than part-skim and fat-free ricotta.
- Pecorino Romano Cheese: This sharp Italian cheese is ideal for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Recipe
- Make the sauce: Puree the whole tomatoes until smooth. In a pot, cook the onion and whole garlic cloves in the olive oil until the onion softens, and press the cloves into the oil to release their flavor. Remove them once they gain color. Add the tomatoes, along with the salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Cook the rigatoni: Boil it in a large pot of salted water until desired tenderness. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the rigatoni.
- Prepare the ricotta: Blend the ricotta and Pecorino Romano in a small bowl with a fork. Add 1 cup of marinara sauce to it and stir everything together.
- Assemble the pasta: Toss the drained rigatoni with the ricotta mixture, and add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Finish: Ladle the rigatoni into bowls and garnish each one with more fresh basil, marinara sauce, and Pecorino.
Pro Tips
Keep the ricotta mixture warm: Reserve the pasta water in a sturdy glass measuring cup, stir the cheeses and marinara sauce in a small bowl, and place the bowl on top of the measuring cup. The heat from the pasta water will keep the mixture warm until you’re ready to use it.
Variations & Substitutions
-Use any short, sturdy pasta you like. Orecchiette and medium shell pasta are both good choices.
-Use your favorite pre-made marinara sauce if you don’t want to make it from scratch.
-Add red pepper flakes for a little heat.
-Toss some diced cubes of fresh mozzarella into the cooked pasta, which will melt as you toss everything together and create baked ziti vibes.
Recipe FAQs
You can maintain the creamy consistency of this sauce by adding a little pasta water when assembling the pasta. This will loosen the sauce and create added moisture. Reserve some extra pasta water if you go back for seconds, as the pasta will thicken as it sits.
You can sweeten bitter marinara sauce by adding white sugar to it. Start with a pinch, and if it still tastes bitter, add a little more. If it sweetens it too much, add a pinch more salt to balance the flavors.
Storage
Refrigerator: Refrigerate in an airtight container and consume within 3 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing cooked pasta.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven, covered and at maximum 350F, until warmed through. You can also microwave in a microwave-safe dish.
More Pasta Recipes
- Linguine aglio e olio with roasted garlic
- Linguine with clams, anchovies, and breadcrumbs
- Hearty Italian sausage and bell peppers
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Creamy Rigatoni with Ricotta Sauce
Ingredients
For the Marinara Sauce
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and lightly smashed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon fresh basil torn
For the Rigatoni
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 and ½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Using a blender or food processor, puree the whole tomatoes until smooth. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-low to medium heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, and gently press the garlic cloves into the olive oil to release their flavor. Remove once they acquire some color.
- Carefully pour in the tomatoes with the salt, pepper, and basil. Taste the tomatoes after they have been simmering for a bit; if they're bitter, add a pinch of sugar to help sweeten them. The basil should also help. Simmer the sauce on low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the instructions or taste for desired tenderness.
- Use a fork to blend the ricotta and Pecorino in a small bowl. Add the marinara sauce and stir everything together.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta (Don't worry about shaking too much excess water out, as you'll need to add some back in anyway.) Toss the drained pasta with the ricotta/Pecorino mixture, ensuring that the sauce coats the pasta evenly. Add a splash of reserved pasta water as you stir to loosen the sauce and achieve a creamy consistency.
- Ladle the pasta into bowls and garnish each with more fresh basil, marinara sauce, and Pecorino Romano. Grind more black pepper on top. Dig in!