Description
A quick and creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta dish that combines short pasta with fresh spinach and a rich ricotta sauce, perfect for a delightful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces short pasta like rigatoni, penne, rotini, farfalle, etc
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta (best)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (or more to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 12 ounces of short pasta according to the package directions. Halfway through cooking, add 10 ounces of fresh spinach to the same pot. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the spinach is wilted.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together 1 cup of ricotta, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, ⅛ teaspoon of grated nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and spinach, then add them to the bowl with the sauce. Toss well, adding more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta.
- Serve right away with extra Parmesan, black pepper, and lemon zest if desired.
Notes
- This dish is best served hot.
- You can adjust the amount of lemon zest for a more pronounced lemon flavor.
- Feel free to add other vegetables for extra nutrition and flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling and mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 40mg