Whipped Ricotta Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta

This whipped lemon ricotta pasta with asparagus and pancetta is creamy, bright, and just a little bit spicy. It's the kind of bowl you'll want to make on repeat before asparagus season is gone.

Watch how to make this

Recipe

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5 from 2 votes

Whipped Ricotta Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pasta, pork

Servings: 6

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Calabrian chile breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped Calabrian chilies
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup panko

Whipped ricotta

• 8 ounces whole-fat ricotta
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Pasta

• 1 pound asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound short-cut pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or orecchiette
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta diced
• 2 shallots sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh basil

Instructions

• Make Calabrian chile breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add Calabrian chilies and garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add panko, stirring to coat. Continue to cook until breadcrumbs are golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Add ricotta and lemon zest to a blender or food processor and whip until smooth and airy, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and blanch until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Remove asparagus with a slotted spoon and immediately shock in an ice bath.
• Bring the water back to a boil and cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until light golden brown. Add shallots and garlic and saute for another minute or until shallots are softened.
• Add pasta, asparagus, whipped ricotta, grated parmesan, and ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water, stirring to coat. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until pasta is well coated. Add additional pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Season with lemon, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Remove pasta from heat and portion into bowls. Sprinkle Calabrian chile breadcrumbs on top and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

The Calabrian chile breadcrumbs and whipped ricotta can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make breadcrumbs

I love adding breadcrumbs to pasta because it adds texture and makes for a lovely finishing touch, like with this spaghetti with lemon herb jam and garlic breadcrumbs. For today's dish, I decided to make a Calabrian version for a little heat.

These Calabrian chile breadcrumbs are small but mighty, and I'd strongly encourage you not to skip them. To make them, you'll toast panko in olive oil along with minced garlic and chopped Calabrian chilies until everything is golden and fragrant.

Be careful when you add the Calabrian chilies because they will pop in the olive oil.

Be sure to stir frequently and keep a close eye on the pan. Panko can go from golden to burnt pretty quickly. Once they're done, spread them out and let them cool completely before using.

They'll crisp up even more as they sit, and that crunch on top of the finished pasta is genuinely one of the best parts of the dish.

Step 2: Whip ricotta

Now, here's the move that takes this pasta from good to great: whipping the ricotta before adding it to the pasta.

Ricotta straight from the container is a little dense and grainy, which means it doesn't coat pasta as smoothly. But when you blend it with lemon zest, it transforms into something light, silky, and almost mousse-like.

It melts into the pasta much more evenly and gives the sauce a truly creamy texture without feeling heavy. This step only takes a minute and makes a noticeable difference, so don't skip it.

If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can whip it by hand using a whisk and your sheer arm strength.

Step 3: Cook pasta

Now that the two main flavor components are ready, it's time to move on to the actual pasta.

Cut fresh asparagus into bite-sized chunks, about 2-inch pieces. Then, blanch them in a pot of boiling salted water for about 2-3 minutes.

You want it tender but still with a little bite, not mushy.

The most important step is immediately transferring it to an ice bath (a bowl of water filled with ice) as soon as it comes out of the pot. This stops the cooking instantly and locks in that vibrant green color.

If you skip the ice bath, the asparagus will continue to cook from residual heat, and you'll lose both the color and the texture.

After blanching, cook your pasta in the same pot of water according to the package directions, and make sure to reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.

Step 4: Putting it all together

With all your components ready, the final cooking step comes together quickly. Start by rendering the pancetta in a large pan until it's light golden brown and the fat has rendered out.

If you can't find pancetta, you can use bacon instead.

Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened. Then, add the pasta, asparagus, whipped ricotta, parmesan, and about ¾ cup of that reserved pasta water.

The starchy pasta water is what helps emulsify everything into a cohesive, glossy sauce, so don't be tempted to skip it or swap it for regular water.

Toss everything together and let it simmer for a minute or two until the whipped ricotta pasta is well coated. If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash more pasta water and toss again.

Finish with a squeeze of lemon and season generously with freshly cracked black pepper. Go easy on the salt at first since the pancetta adds salt already.

Sprinkle the whipped ricotta pasta with asparagus and pancetta with those Calabrian chile breadcrumbs and fresh basil. Then grab a fork and dig in!

Now this is what I'm talking about! This pasta checks off all the boxes: creamy, salty, bright, and a little spicy. Heck, it's so good that I would gladly purchase frozen asparagus to prepare this in the fall or winter!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: You can make the breadcrumbs and whipped ricotta up to 2 days in advance. You can also cook the pasta and asparagus ahead of time.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.

More easy pasta recipes

Looking for more easy pasta ideas? Try these: