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    Home » Recipes » Pasta » Simple Lemon Ricotta Pasta

    Published: Feb 4, 2022 · Modified: Apr 23, 2023 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Simple Lemon Ricotta Pasta

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta mixes creamy ricotta cheese, zesty lemon, and tender spinach all combined and tossed with hot pasta for a super simple 10 minute pasta dish.

    bowl of lemon ricotta pasta with microplane in the background

    If you are looking for an easy vegetarian pasta dish, look no further! This delicious pasta dish is tossed with ricotta and very simply flavored with garlic, lemon, and red pepper flakes and comes together so quickly.

    Side note, red pepper flakes are always welcome in a pasta dish in my book! They are the perfect amount of heat and don't alter the overall flavor of a dish too much. I love them in this Gigi Hadid Pasta recipe too.

    This lemon pasta works great as a lunch, snack, or a light dinner. It would be super tasty paired with grilled chicken, salmon, or the reader favorite parmesan crusted chicken romano.

    This pasta can be served hot or cold.

    Looking for more pasta dishes with spinach?

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    What is in Lemon Ricotta Pasta?

    ingredients for lemon ricotta pasta on a white background
    • Pasta. I used angel hair here, but truly any pasta shape would work. Use your favorite here.
    • Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. Ricotta is actually not a cheese at all! It's made from the dairy by-product when other cow's milk cheese are made. Because of this, it doesn't get as smooth as some cheese sauces do. Don't worry-- the flavor is stellar!
    • Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese. This adds more cheesy goodness, depth of flavor, and a nice amount of saltiness.
    • Fresh Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest. One of the biggest flavoring agents in this dish! Don't skimp on the zest, it holds a lot of flavor.
    • Baby Spinach. The spinach wilts nicely in the hot pasta without even have to "cook" it.
    • Garlic. I am normally one to measure garlic with my heart (i.e. a recipe calling for 1 cloves equals 5 in my mind), however for this recipe, I would recommend sticking to the one clove. The garlic added to the ricotta mixture raw, and since it isn't cooked, it can be very strong and a little bitter. If you would like to add more garlic, you may want to saute it in a bit of olive oil first. Cooking it for even a minute, takes away a lot of the bitterness.
    • Salt.

    How to make Lemon Ricotta Pasta

    Cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Once pasta is finished cooking, reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water in a cup to the side before draining the pasta.

    In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and salt. Stir to combine.

    ingredients for ricotta sauce in a bowl
    ricotta mixture in a low bowl with a spoon

    When pasta has been drained but is still hot, add in baby spinach and allow to wilt.

    Stir in ricotta sauce mixture along with the reserved pasta water and stir to coat.

    cooked angel hair pasta with baby spinach
    finished pasta dish in a skillet

    Variations/Substitutions

    Try it with cream cheese. You'll notice that the ricotta doesn't create a super smooth pasta sauce. This is because ricotta cheese does not melt in the same way a lot of cheeses do. If you would like to make a creamier sauce, try replacing the ricotta with ½ cup of cream cheese or ½ cup of mascarpone cheese.

    Sub in herbs for the spinach. If you want to switch it up you can add a handful of fresh parsley or fresh basil instead of spinach. This would also add a nice fresh flavor to the recipe. Arugula would also be a great substitute and give a peppery bite to the dish. We also love arugula in pasta dishes like Goat Cheese and Arugula Pasta and Lemon and Arugula with Capellini Pasta.

    overhead view of pasta dish in a white bowl

    Storage

    Store any pasta leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. This ricotta pasta can be enjoyed cold straight from the fridge or reheated in the microwave.

    bowl of lemon ricotta pasta with microplane in the background

    Lemon Ricotta Pasta

    Sarah Baumeister
    Simple Lemon Ricotta Pasta is an easy lunch or light dinner that can be made in one pot with lots of fresh ingredients.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 12 minutes mins
    Course Pasta
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 3 servings
    Calories 347 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ lb pasta of your choice
    • 1 lemon zest and juice
    • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • 2 cups baby spinach
    • salt to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Once pasta is finished cooking, reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water in a cup to the side before draining the pasta.
    • In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and salt. Stir to combine.
    • When pasta has been drained but is still hot, add in baby spinach and allow to wilt.
    • Stir in ricotta sauce mixture along with the reserved pasta water and stir to coat.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 19gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 581mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1g
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca Wallace says

      May 09, 2022 at 8:21 pm

      Thank you for this wonderful simple recipe . I’m trying it tonight and I know I will enjoy it.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        May 11, 2022 at 7:14 pm

        Rebecca,

        You are very welcome. Hope you enjoyed!

        Sarah

        Reply
    2. Valerie Coletti says

      June 13, 2022 at 1:11 am

      This Lemon Ricotta recipe was delicious. I left spinach out and it was still good.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        June 20, 2022 at 7:24 pm

        So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Valerie! -Sarah

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I could stand and am excited to share my love for being in the kitchen with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, we love it all!

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