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.
