Easy One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta (plus how to make it as a high protein pasta salad!)

While the pasta boils, add ricotta, parmesan, basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

After the pasta is removed, in the same pan, heat oil and add garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until fragrant.

Add the ricotta mixture to the same pan and stir constantly to keep from burning. As it heats it will begin to melt down a bit as the cheese melts.

Add 1 cup of pasta water to begin to thin out sauce. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Stir in peas and let cook for 1 minute (still stirring). Then, add pasta back in and gently stir to coat. Note: add more pasta water as needed to thin out sauce (we sometimes add in up to one more cup).

Enjoy topped with more parmesan and lemon zest!