6-Ingredient Lemon Ricotta Pasta Dinner: Gluten-Free and Weight-Loss Friendly

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6-Ingredient Lemon Ricotta Pasta Dinner: Gluten-Free and Weight-Loss Friendly

Yield: 4

Author: Megan Gaul from Partake Meal Planning

6 ingredients, plus some salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes? Sign me up for this beautifully-creamy (and surprisingly high-protein) dinner that is easy to cook after a long day's work. Don't use bottled lemon juice; the zingy fresh lemon juice is a MUST-HAVE, when paired with the luxurious whipped ricotta and the sweet peas. Enjoy!

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Ingredients

• 8 oz short pasta (I like rotini) labelled gluten-free - such as Barilla Gluten-Free Pasta**
• Kosher salt
• 2 small or 1 large lemon
• 1.5 oz hard parmesan cheese
• 3 links of gluten-free pre-cooked chicken sausage - such as Al Fresco Roasted Garlic**
• 1.5 cups (approximately 270 g) frozen green peas
• 1 container whole-milk ricotta (15 oz)
• 1-2 tsp labelled gluten-free black pepper (or to taste) - such as Badia
• 1-2 tsp labelled gluten-free crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) - such as Badia

Instructions

1. Put a large non-stick pot of well-salted walter to boil. Add pasta, and set timer for the amount of time listed on the pasta box.
2. Take this time to prep ingredients. Zest and juice the lemons. Grate the parmesan cheese using the small holes on your grater. Slice the chicken sausages length-wise, then turn and chop into half-moon bite-size pieces.
3. Add the ricotta, black pepper, a bit more salt, most of the lemon juice, and a few tbsp of starchy pasta water to your large food processor. Blend until smooth (taste and adjust seasoning or lemon juice if you like).
4. Once the pasta is done, reserve a little bit more pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta. In the same large non-stick pot (keep it on medium heat), add the chicken sausage.
5. Once the chicken sausage is lightly browned, add the peas (you can season with a bit more black pepper and the crushed red pepper at this point). Cook, stirring frequently, until the peas are not only thawed, but fully warmed through (taste a few to check).
6. To the pot with chicken sausage and peas, add back the pasta, and pour in all the ricotta mixture. Finally, add the parmesan cheese and a little bit of starchy pasta water. Stir well. Turn the heat to low. Keep stirring on the low heat until all the parmesan cheese is melted. Taste, season once more if desired, divide into 4 bowls, and enjoy!

Notes

**As of 10/16/2025, the package and/or websites of these brands had gluten-free labelling:

• Al Fresco Chicken Sausage, Roasted Garlic variety
• Barilla Gluten-Free Rotini
• Badia Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Badia Whole Black Peppercorns

By accessing or using this recipe, you are acknowledging and agreeing that you alone are responsible for ensuring your foods, drinks, and other consumables are safe for you. You are also acknowledging and agreeing that the information provided here is for informational purposes only, does not consistute medical advice, and is no subsitute for consulting your doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian. You are also acknowledging and agreeing that nutritional information and food/drink labels change over time, and this information may be out of date.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

571

Fat

23.3 g

Sat. Fat

12.3 g

Carbs

59.8 g

Fiber

5.1 g

Net carbs

54.7 g

Sugar

7.5 g

Protein

31.3 g

Sodium

722.5 mg

Cholesterol

107.5 mg

This wepbage provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online nutrition data from manufacturer and food retailer websites. By accessing or using this recipe, you are acknowledging and agreeing to the full nutrition information disclaimer for this website, which you can read in its entirety here.

Nutrition Disclaimer

This wepbage provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online nutrition data from manufacturer and food retailer websites. By accessing or using this recipe, you are acknowledging and agreeing to the full nutrition information disclaimer for this website, which you can read in its entirety using the link below.