Description
Lemon Ricotta Pasta is a quick and zesty vegetarian dish combining creamy ricotta cheese, fresh lemon, and spinach with al dente spaghetti. Ready in just 25 minutes, it makes the perfect weeknight meal using simple pantry staples.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti (or pasta of choice)
Sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more for pasta water)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Vegetables
- 1 (5-ounce) container baby spinach
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot, covered to keep warm.
- Prepare Sauce: In a high-speed blender, combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan, olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon zest and juice, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is very smooth and creamy.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce and Spinach: Add the ricotta sauce, ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, and the baby spinach to the pot with the cooked pasta. Place the pot over low heat and gently cook, stirring until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce and the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Add additional pasta water as needed to reach your preferred sauce consistency.
- Serve: Dish the pasta onto plates and top with extra freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is a quick and easy vegetarian meal perfect for busy weeknights.
- Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- Use any pasta shape you like; spaghetti works perfectly.
- Reserve pasta water is key to achieving a creamy, silky sauce consistency.
- Whole-milk ricotta makes the sauce extra creamy, but part-skim ricotta can be substituted for a lighter option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 431 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 447 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
