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Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta & Spinach
This delicious easy peasy lemon ricotta pasta & spinach recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Made with simple fresh ingredients and minimal effort required, ready in less than 25 minutes! Adding the juice & zest of lemons to this simple dish creates taste bud sunshine.
The no-cook sauce is a favorite in our household when we’re craving a light Italian dish. It’s simple – cook the pasta, mix the other ingredients together, combine, and voila!
This recipe is incredibly versatile so get creative and mix in your favorite veggies or protein. We love our greens so we doubled the spinach to bring out even more flavor and color.
Want to add a twist to this recipe? The sky is the limit! Here are a few variations that taste fantastic along with the lemon and ricotta combo. Simply add them to the pot when you stir in the ricotta mixture.
- Sauteed or grilled vegetables: asparagus, peas, zucchini, etc.
- Arugula, basil, chives
- Cherry tomatoes or chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Grilled chicken
- Grilled or smoked salmon
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Spinach: Cooking spinach and pasta all in one pot saves time and washing up. However, make sure not to overcook it, which will result in the loss of nutrients, flavor, and green color.
- Cooking water: Add pasta water gradually, you might not need all of it. You don’t want to water down the flavor.
- Pasta: You can use any short, large or long pasta shapes that work well to capture the creamy ricotta. Try to use whole-wheat pasta as this will add more nutritional value.
Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta & Spinach
This delicious easy peasy lemon ricotta pasta & spinach recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Made with simple fresh ingredients and minimal effort required, ready in less than 25 minutes! Adding the juice & zest of lemons to this simple dish creates taste bud sunshine.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta (spaghetti, linguine, penne, etc.)
- 9 oz skim-milk ricotta
- 8 oz fresh baby spinach (we love spinach, so we always add more!)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra to serve)
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 3 lemon wedges to serve (optional)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 1 garlic clove (chopped)
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, make the ricotta sauce.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, and juice. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir until well combined, taste, and make sure you’re happy with the seasoning.
- In the last minute of the pasta’s cooking time, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then add spinach to the pot. Stir well and push the leaves down to submerge them in water.
- After 1 minute, drain and return pasta and spinach to the same pot.
- Add the ricotta sauce and part of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed, you want a smooth and creamy texture.
- Serve immediately and garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Spinach: Cooking spinach and pasta all in one pot saves time and washing up. However, make sure not to overcook it, which will result in the loss of nutrients, flavor, and green color.
- Cooking water: Add pasta water gradually, you might not need all of it. You don’t want to water down the flavor.
- Pasta: You can use any short, large or long pasta shapes that work well to capture the creamy ricotta. Try to use whole-wheat pasta as this will add more nutritional value
Nutrition
Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 19gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 363mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2g
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