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    Home > Pasta Recipes > Italian Sausage Ricotta Pasta Sauce

    Italian Sausage Ricotta Pasta Sauce

    Published: Jul 10, 2018 · Modified: Jul 28, 2020 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Italian Sausage Ricotta Sauce

    This is a recipe for ricotta pasta sauce made with nothing more than ricotta cheese, Italian Sausage and tomatoes. Plus some Italian seasonings and a little bit of Parmesan of course. It’s most delicious if you keep the pappardelle pasta slightly al dente and topped with just enough sauce and some grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes. For best results use good quality noodles and quality whole milk ricotta cheese.

    Ricotta Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage, cherry tomatoes over pappardelle pasta

    I know what you’re thinking: It’s about time she gave us more main course pasta recipes.

    Within one of my favorite food categories on my site, “Pasta Recipes“, you’ll find only 23 recipes. Compared to 67 in the chicken category and 67 in the seafood category. Seafood? 67? Really? And I’m landlocked for pitty sake.

    This is a ricotta sauce recipe that I’ve had in my database for maybe twenty years. It’s a recipe that I took camping one year. We used to gather with our neighbors at many pristine Colorado camp sites and cook, hike, play games and in general enjoy our amazing Colorado scenery. With two main meals a day, breakfast and dinner, we’d take turns providing camp grub for the crowd and as you can imagine, we ate very well.

    One of my favorite gourmet camping trips was this one, Camping Pearl Lake, where I still insist that we should have received a  James Beard Award for camp food.

    One year my contribution to feed the crowd was this ricotta pasta. I can’t exactly remember, but surely I must have prepared this ricotta sauce at home to reheat at the campsite and serve over pasta which was cooked on site. Everyone loved it so much that it was requested again and again.

    And it makes me hungry just writing about the recipe.

    Ricotta Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage and tomatoes

    If you’re looking for recipes using ricotta cheese I’m strongly suggesting you give this one a try. 

    This ricotta sauce comes together easily in a skillet:

    • Just cook the Italian sausage and discard most of the excess grease. I l leave just a little for flavor.
    • Add onion, garlic, tomatoes, lemon juice and seasonings and cook for twenty minutes.
    • Remove from heat and add ricotta.
    • Cook your pappardelle pasta and then top with the ricotta pasta sauce.

    Recipe for Italian Sausage Ricotta Pasta Sauce:

    I hope you give this Ricotta Pasta Sauce a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

    Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite ricotta sauce recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    And, don’t miss the most popular pasta recipe on my site: Spicy Creamy Shrimp Pasta.

    Ricotta Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage and tomatoes

    Italian Sausage Ricotta Pasta Sauce

    A beautiful ricotta pasta sauce made with nothing more than ricotta cheese, Italian Sausage and tomatoes. Plus some Italian seasonings and a little bit of Parmesan of course.
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta Recipes
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 655kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound Pappardelle pasta
    • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 pound Italian sausage crumbled
    • 1 pound fresh tomatoes diced, or 1 (16 oz.) can chopped tomatoes (undrained)
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
    • 1 tablespoon fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried
    • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
    • 1/2 cup water
    • Sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/2 pound ricotta cheese
    • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
    • 1 pinch Red pepper flakes
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    Instructions

    • In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned. Drain access grease. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs and 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 20 minutes. 
    • Stir in ricotta and remove from the heat. Optional: Add some halved cherry tomatoes for texture and color.
    • Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain.
    • Serve sauce over individual plates of pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 904IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amelia says

      March 22, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      4 stars
      Do not rinse the pasta as you suggested.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        March 27, 2020 at 8:44 am

        Absolutely. I don’t know where that came from. I’ve changed the recipe and thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    2. Gloria Roa Baker says

      July 15, 2018 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      Love this sauce, looks delicious ! Im following you !

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        July 16, 2018 at 2:56 pm

        Hi Gloria. Thanks so much and thanks for the follow.

        Reply
    3. Karen (Back Road Journal) says

      July 15, 2018 at 11:42 am

      While I’ve not made a ricotta sauce, I’ve made a sausage ragu for pasta and topped it with dollops of ricotta cheese. It is a favorite of my husband so I know he would enjoy your sauce.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        July 16, 2018 at 2:56 pm

        I made a sausage ragu at Culinary School. And dying to make it at home. So good.

        Reply
    4. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      July 11, 2018 at 8:28 am

      Love Italian sausage! Such a great flavor. Oddly enough, I don’t often use it in a pasta sauce. This looks excellent — tons of flavor, and a great way to use fresh summer tomatoes. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        July 16, 2018 at 2:57 pm

        I use it in pasta sauces all the time – just can’t get enough of it. 🙂

        Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad obsessed with South of The Border cuisine. Mexican, Southwestern and Wild West Recipes. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration for reliable, approachable recipes.

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