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Creamy Tomato Ricotta Pasta (No Heavy Cream Rigatoni)

Creamy Tomato Ricotta Pasta uses rigatoni tossed in a garlicky crushed tomato sauce that turns blush-pink and silky without heavy cream. Stovetop simmering and stirring in whole-milk ricotta and Parmesan create a glossy, tube-coating sauce in 25 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pasta
  • 12 oz rigatoni
  • 1 tbsp salt for the pasta water
For the sauce
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta plus 1/2 cup for topping
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan freshly grated
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves torn

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni until al dente (around 8–10 minutes), then reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain.
Build the tomato-garlic sauce
  1. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic with the red pepper flakes for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant but not browned.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it darkens to a brick red.
  3. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Make it creamy and toss
  1. Lower the heat and stir in 1 cup ricotta and the Parmesan until the sauce turns smooth, creamy, and blush-pink.
  2. Add the drained rigatoni and toss for 1–2 minutes, adding splashes of reserved pasta water until the sauce is glossy and coats every tube.
Serve
  1. Spoon into bowls and top with dollops of the remaining ricotta and torn basil, then serve hot.

Notes

For the smoothest blush-pink sauce, lower the heat before adding ricotta so it melts in without breaking. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or pasta water to loosen. Freezing isn’t ideal because dairy can separate. Dietary swap: use lactose-free ricotta and lactose-free Parmesan if needed for dairy-friendly comfort.