Easy Ricotta Pasta Salad

Ricotta Pasta Salad with charred bell peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, and creamy Ricotta is healthy and quick prep. This is a perfect light summer salad and makes it for a potluck.

I am just back from my daughter's School Anual Event. It was her first stage performance and we were sitting in the audience as proud parents. We were as excited as her.

It was so much fun to see those adorable kids performing on stage. They were dancing out of rhythm, with no sync in their steps. All they were doing was performing from their heart and enjoying every bit of it.

After being out the whole day, I have no patience left, But I can't delay sharing this awesome recipe with you guys anymore. This recipe was long pending.

Pasta doesn't always have to be loaded with cheese and heavy on calories. Right??? A light creamy pasta like this warm Ricotta Pasta Salad is a good alternative.

This pasta salad might not have the creamy sauce or a heavy cheesy dressing. But the ricotta is enough to make this creamy. The charred peppers and cherry tomatoes give a nice smokey flavour.

Another best thing about this dish is you can serve this salad both warm or at room temperature. So it is perfect for a summer salad too.

This salad is a favorite. I kept it vegetarian for meatless days but you can also add roasted chicken to it. This Salad stays well in the refrigerator, so perfect for your lunch box/meal prep. You need less than 30 minutes to make this salad, so easy to make on busy working days.

If you like a fruity salad, then give this Couscous Salad With Orange Vinaigrette a try

Warm Ricotta Pasta Salad

Ricotta Pasta Salad with charred bell peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, and creamy Ricotta is healthy and a perfect vegetarian meal prep / Lunchbox.

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Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheesy salad, Italian salad, Pasta Salad, Ricotta, Salad for summer

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Subhasmita

Ingredients

• 2 Cups penne pasta uncooked
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup assorted pepper (I used red, green, and yellow)
• 200 grams cherry tomato cut into halves
• 1 cup fresh green peas blanched
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• salt and pepper as per taste

Instructions

• Cook pasta as per packet instructions. Keep aside.
• In a pan add 1 tbsp oil. Add minced garlic.
• Add assorted bell pepper. Stir fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes. The peppers should look charred but still crunchy. Don't overcook. Add green peas. Stir fry for another 1 minute on high heat. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the remaining oil. Add halved cherry tomatoes. Stir fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes. The tomato skin should look charred but again don't overcook it till mushy.
• In a big mixing bowl add the cooked pasta, bell pepper, peas, tomato, ricotta, parmesan cheese, and all the herbs. Season it with salt and pepper. Mix everything well.

Notes

For illustration purposes, I have cooked bell peppers, peas, and tomatoes separately. So I divided the oil into 3 equal parts and cooked the veggies. You can cook the veggies as per the instruction.

While I was cooking the pasta, I prepared the veggies. And while the pasta was still warm, mixed it with the rest of the ingredients.