Lemon Ricotta Pasta

If you’ve ever wondered how to add ricotta to pasta, this dish is for you. Inspired by the New York Times’ lemon ricotta pasta, this recipe is as tasty as it is versatile. Add sauteed shrimp for a mouthwatering Shrimp Ricotta Pasta, or mix in blanched peas for an easy pasta recipe as veggie-packed as my Mushroom and Pea Pasta. No matter how you prepare it, this filling ricotta lemon pasta is guaranteed to satisfy all your cravings.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make lemon ricotta spinach pasta, gather pasta, fresh spinach leaves (I use baby spinach), and kosher salt.

You’ll also need whole milk ricotta cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, minced garlic, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, salt, and black pepper for the ricotta lemon sauce. You may also choose to add red pepper flakes if desired.

How to Make Pasta With Ricotta Cheese

This ricotta lemon pasta recipe takes minimal effort and a handful of ingredients to prepare. Even beginner chefs can make this dish any night of the week.

1. Cook the pasta: Fill a large pot with water and 4 tablespoons of salt. When properly seasoned, your pasta water should taste like seawater. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the pasta, and cook it according to package instructions or until it becomes al dente.
2. Add the spinach: Right before draining the pasta, add the spinach to the pot and cook for 30-45 seconds. Then, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the pasta. Once it is fully drained, add the cooked pasta back to the pan.
3. Make the lemon ricotta pasta sauce: While the pasta cooks, mix the fresh ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
4. Add the pasta water: Add ½ cup of the reserved starchy pasta water to the sauce ingredients. Whisk the mixture until it becomes creamy.
5. Toss the pasta: Pour the lemon ricotta sauce over the pasta and gently toss the noodles until fully coated. The ingredients should turn very creamy, as the residual heat from the cooked pasta melts the ricotta-based pasta sauce. However, if necessary, you may add the rest of the reserved pasta liquid to the pot, turn the heat on for a minute, and toss the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency.
6. Serve: Taste your ricotta and lemon pasta, and add any necessary seasoning. Then, garnish the dish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and if preferred, a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Serve!

How to Store

Say goodbye to wasted leftovers and complicated meal prep! With these simple storage tips, you won’t miss out on a single bite of your ricotta lemon pasta.

• Make-Ahead: The dish comes together rather quickly but if you want you can make the ricotta mixture a day in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Store: To store your ricotta pasta, place the leftovers in an airtight container. The pasta will stay fresh for up to two days.
• Reheat: When reheating your pasta, it may help to add a little bit of water to the mixture. Then, warm the pasta in a large skillet over medium heat, adding more water as necessary.
• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as the extreme cold will ruin the texture of your pasta.

Expert Tips

Elegant, tasty, and easy? Sounds too good to be true! I promise, though: This pasta recipe with ricotta cheese will come together in a cinch with these foolproof tips. 

• Use whole milk ricotta: If you want your pasta to come out creamy, flavorful, and rich, whole milk ricotta is the way to go. You can even make your own creamy Ricotta Cheese for the most delicious pasta dish without the extra trip to the grocery store.
• Season well: Ample seasoning is the key to making pasta with ricotta cheese. For maximum depth and flavor, be sure to taste this pasta dish as you go and season it well.
• Move fast: It’s important to move fast when making this lemon ricotta pasta recipe. When prepared correctly, the residual heat of the cooked pasta should warm the parmesan and ricotta, giving the dish its signature creaminess. However, if your ricotta sauce doesn’t reach the desired consistency, you can some cooking water to the pot, turn on the heat, and toss the mixture until ready.

FAQs

It doesn’t hurt to have a little help when making ricotta cheese recipes with pasta. This handy guide will give you everything you need to make creamy lemon ricotta pasta like a pro.

Other Pasta Recipes You Might Like

It is no secret that creamy pasta recipes make easy weeknight dinners. If you liked this pasta with ricotta and lemon, I suspect you might enjoy the recipes I handpicked for you below.

• Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto
• Baked Ziti with Eggplant
• Roasted Eggplant Pasta
• Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce
• Green Spaghetti Sauce
• Warm Sesame Peanut Noodles with Chicken

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Lemon Ricotta Pasta Recipe

5 from 5 votes

By: Aysegul Sanford

Yields4 servings

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Creamy and delicious Lemon Ricotta Pasta that you can make in 20 minutes! This is an easy vegetarian pasta dish that you can serve as a side dish with meat dishes or by itself for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound pasta, (bucatini, rigatoni, spaghetti, or penne would all work)
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach leaves, (16 oz) rinsed
• ▢ 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• ▢ ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, more as garnish
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ▢ ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
• ▢ Drizzle of olive oil, optional

Instructions 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta of your choice and cook until al dente.
• At the very last minute, right before draining the pasta, add in the spinach and cook for 30-45 seconds. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.
• Put the now-cooked pasta back in the pan.
• Meanwhile, make the ricotta lemon pasta sauce by mixing ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Add in the ½ cup of reserved pasta sauce and whisk until creamy.
• Add the lemon ricotta sauce to the pasta and give it a gentle toss. It should be very creamy as you toss it with the help of the residual heat coming from the freshly cooked pasta. If you need it, add in the rest of the reserved pasta liquid and turn the heat on for a minute or so as you toss and turn the pasta.
• Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary. Garnish with a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve.

Notes

• The serving size is approximately about 2 cups per person. If you are serving it as a main course it would feed 4 people but if you are serving as a side dish it would be good for 6 servings.
• Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It should stay fresh for up to two days.
• Reheat with a little bit of water to the mixture over medium heat. Be sure to toss to ensure even cooking and add water as necessary.
  
• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as the extreme cold will ruin the texture of your pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1111mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2282IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Vegetarian Pasta

Cuisine: American/Italian

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