This lemon ricotta pasta with spinach is an easy, weeknight meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes! It's light, fresh, and super simple for a delicious vegetarian summer pasta.
You might also like this burst cherry tomato pasta or this lemon orzo!
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Ingredient Notes
The ingredients for this lemon ricotta pasta couldn’t be simpler! I picked up most of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s and it cost me just a few dollars.
Pasta - I love using a long pasta like buccatini or pappardelle for this sauce, but a short pasta like rigatoni works well too! So basically any type of pasta you want! Use a high-quality die cut pasta like Delallo or De Cecco for the yummiest results.
Garlic - The sliced garlic is a MUST! It infuses the olive oil with a ton of delicious flavor.
Olive Oil - You want to use good, high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor!
Fresh Herbs - I highly recommend stirring in some fresh basil at the end for its bright, peppery flavor. You could also use fresh thyme or oregano.
Ricotta - Make sure you use whole milk ricotta for the best taste and texture!
Parmesan - This is optional but I'll never pass up an extra sprinkle of parmesan or pecorino cheese!
Fresh Spinach - I like adding some fresh spinach to the pasta but you can leave it out if you prefer. Fresh kale or arugula would also be delicious!
Lemon Juice and Zest - Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest helps add some brightness to the pasta.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Variations
This lemon ricotta pasta is super versatile to match whatever you're craving!
- Add red pepper flakes for a little heat
- Swap the spinach for arugula
- Add in sundried tomatoes
- Top with grilled chicken or seared salmon
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Cook your pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta!
Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
While the pasta is cooking, prep the sauce! In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and black pepper.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and aromatic.
Then stir in the ricotta sauce and fresh spinach and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is heated through and the spinach is wilted.
Add the al dente pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up slightly and coats the noodles. If the sauce is too thick, add in a bit more pasta water as needed.
Since the pasta water is salty, I like to wait to salt the ricotta sauce until after I've added in the pasta water and noodles. Once the noodles are coated in the sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Garnish the lemon ricotta pasta with fresh basil and an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese! Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQ's
This lemon ricotta pasta is best eaten the same day, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The ricotta pasta will soak up the sauce in the fridge, so it's best to gently reheat on the stove with a little cream or water to add more moisture.
Typically it depends on the course. For a light lunch or side dish, typically 2 ounces (55g) per person. For a main course more like 3.5 ounces (100 grams). This recipe is written for 16 ounces of pasta (1 package) which is 4 large servings or 8 small servings. But it's super easy to halve if you don't need as much.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Pasta
- 16 ounces pasta
- ½ cup pasta water, more as needed
Instructions
- This recipe is written for 16 ounces of pasta (1 package) which is 4 large servings or 8 small servings. But it's super easy to halve if you don't need as much.
- Cook your pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta!
- Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
- While the pasta is cooking, prep the sauce! In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and black pepper.
- In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and aromatic.
- Then stir in the ricotta sauce and fresh spinach and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is heated through and the spinach is wilted.
- Add the al dente pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up slightly and coats the noodles. If the sauce is too thick, add in a bit more pasta water as needed.
- Since the pasta water is salty, I like to wait to salt the ricotta sauce until after I've added in the pasta water and noodles. Once the noodles are coated in the sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Garnish with fresh basil and an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese! Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Darlene says
Although I did like this I thought it was a little bland, but I’ll work on it
Any suggestions? I know it’s certainly not meant to be spicy, just needs a little something
Thank you for the recipe
Kyleigh Sage says
First thing is just more salt! I purposefully write recipes with a little less salt than needed because some people are very sensitive to salt and it's always easier to add more but a little extra salt can help enhance the rest of the flavors. But also adding in red pepper flakes when sautéing the garlic is delicious - I would start with 1/2 teaspoon for a little heat but you could certainly add more! I also love nutmeg with ricotta - so I'd start with 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. I also really like to sub arugula for spinach because it has a stronger more peppery flavor!
Dina El-Shimy says
Can the ricotta be replaced with mascarpone? I often struggle with ricotta curdling or becoming grainy in sauces.
Is there anything I can do to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy?
Kyleigh Sage says
I love mascarpone as a substitute! Unfortunately some brands of ricotta are always more grainy than others but trying to drain out all the excess water can help. I think mascarpone would be delicious though!