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I love this zesty lemon ricotta pasta with spinach, it makes a delish weeknight meal ready in less than 15 minutes. Simple, fresh ingredients, delicious flavor, and minimal effort.
This no-cook sauce is one of my go-to recipes from when I was at uni and can be made in no time. Mix creamy ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and refreshing lemon. Your pasta sauce is ready.
Easy peasy, economical, perfect for your carb cravings and so good.
If you’re a big fan of lemons like me, you’ll love how their juice and zest transform a simple dish into something that tastes pure sunshine. And what about the creamy ricotta? I love it, especially when I used to buy fresh ricotta from the cheese counter in Italy (ahhh distant memories!)
To make this easy pasta dish healthier and more filling, don’t forget to add your greens. You could swap spinach for other delicious vegetables, or even protein like grilled chicken or salmon. The sky is the limit!
Watch how to make it
What ingredients you need
- Pasta
- Ricotta
- Parmesan cheese
- Baby spinach
- Lemon
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Combine ricotta, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper
- Mix well, taste and make sure you’re happy with the seasoning
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta until al dente
- Reserve some pasta cooking water
- Add spinach to the pot and cook for 1 minute
- Drain pasta and spinach and return to the pot
- Add the ricotta sauce, the cooking water, and stir well
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges (optional)
- Enjoy… Buon appetito!
Recipe notes & tips
If you fancy fresh and creamy spaghetti ready in no time, inexpensive, and kids approved, this recipe is for you!
Plus, if you go for whole grain pasta you’ll get more natural fiber and micronutrients than white pasta. Whole-grain is the healthier option also when it comes to a bowl of spaghetti, and makes you feel fuller longer which is a great bonus. We love it and we consume it nearly on a regular basis.
HOW TO ADD SPINACH TO PASTA?
Blanched (quickly boiled) spinach works fine in this recipe, and 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.
Recipe updated: originally posted in July 2019, I’ve tweaked the post adding more notes and new pictures.
SUBSTITUTIONS
What about adding a twist? This terrific recipe is so versatile, feel free to add more vegetables or even protein of your choice. Here are a few variations that taste delicious along with the lemon and ricotta combo.
Add them to the pot when you stir in the ricotta mixture.
- Sauteed or grilled vegetables: asparagus, peas, zucchini, artichokes
- Arugula, basil, chives
- Cherry tomatoes or chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Grilled chicken
- Grilled or smoked salmon
MORE EASY PASTA DISHES READY IN 15 MINUTES OR LESS?
- Cream cheese pasta
- Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil
- Garlic mushroom spaghetti
- Marinara sauce with spaghetti
- Walnut sauce pasta
If you make this vibrant lemon ricotta pasta with spinach, leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram.
I would love to hear from you!
Lemon ricotta pasta & spinach
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (8oz/220 grams) pasta (spaghetti, linguine, penne, fusilli...)
- 1 cup (9oz/250 grams) whole-milk ricotta
- 8 oz (230 grams) fresh baby spinach, washed
- 1/3 cup (35 grams) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
- 3 lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted 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 1/4 tsp of salt and a good pinch of 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 and 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 (for extra freshly squeezed juice, but I leave it optional). Plus, I love adding a good pinch of red pepper flakes, you might give it a go. Enjoy!
Heather
Absolutely fantastic!! Quick and super easy to make. I would definitely pay money for this in a restaurant.
Katia
You’ve made my day, Heather! 🤩 Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback.x
Mary
Enjoyed this clever meal!!! Even my husband, who “doesn’t like lemon”, had seconds. Thank you for posting this quick and delicious recipe.
Katia
You’re so welcome, Mary! Your lovely feedback makes me happy, 😊 I’m so glad you and your husband loved this recipe. Cheers x
Wendy
This was sooo easy and delicious! I added some capers to it (add ins!) for a twist. This will be on our rotation from here on out… thank you!
Katia
You’re so welcome, Wendy! 🤩 Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback. x
Nardeyah
Very Good.
Katia
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! 😊
Mojoblogs
It looks super quick and easy to make. Perfect for busy mums. Thank you for this! I’m excited to try this 🙂
Katia
You’re very welcome! Enjoy it. 😊
Debbie Stokes
Could you use the wide rice noodles? Got to try this. Making me hungry!
Katia
I’ve never used wide rice noodles in this recipe, but it’s worth giving a try (if you don’t have regular pasta). 😉
Rita
That was delicious and so easy! My husband loved it and he usually is just a red sauce person. I had left over pasta and just reheated it in a skillet with a little broth and the spinach! Very satisfying!
Katia
Thanks for your lovely comment, Rita! 😊 I’m so pleased you guys loved it! x
Sandra
I didn’t have any spinach so I used broccoli and extra garlic for added flavour. With a dash of chilli flakes, the combo of the lemon and savoury is delicious!
Katia
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, Sandra! I’m so glad it turned out delicious 😊
Leticia Medeiros Centeno
So easy, so quick and so tasty! Love this recipe and it will now be my to go pasta for the summer season here in Brazil! 🙂
Katia
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Leticia! I’m so pleased you love it 😉 x
Sara
Very delicious and easy meatless meal! My only recommendation would be to add a pinch of nutmeg as it goes well with a ‘white sauce’, cheese and dark leafy greens.
Katia
I agree, Sara! Ground nutmeg pairs nicely with ricotta, so delicious, I might add it as a recipe note. 😊 Thanks for your lovely feedback x
Lisa
Had this for supper tonight and it was really good. The idea of the raw garlic in the ricotta threw me, even though we do that in tzatiki all the time. We did the garlic, olive oil and spinach together in a frying pan, then added it to the cooked noodles and ricotta mixture. The plates were scraped clean. Great recipe!
Katia
I’m so pleased the plates were scraped clean, Lisa! 🤩 Thanks so much for your feedback x
Sarah
We love this recipe! It’s so easy and super tasty. My kids love it too which is a huge bonus 🙂 We usually have salmon with it!
Katia
That makes me happy, thanks for sharing your feedback, Sarah! 🥰
Marianne
Yummy, easy and quick!!! What more could you want??!!
Katia
Thanks for sharing your lovely comment, Marianne! I’m so glad you loved it, so easy and quick. x
Kathy S Olson
All 3 of us loved this recipe. It was easy and fun to make and tasted yummy.
Katia
I’m so glad you guys loved it! 🤩 Thanks for your lovely comment, Kathy. x
Pennmom
Loved it. Nice and light- not heavy like an Alfredo sauce.
Katia
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing your feedback x
Debbie
OMG!!! This was awesome. So flavorful with the lemon and the garlic. And sooo easy to make! We are trying to go meatless at least 2-3 days per week and this recipe fits the bill. Will be a regular in our house. Thank you for this wonderfully easy meatless recipe!
Katia
That makes me so happy, Debbie! Thank you for sharing your lovely feedback 💛
Dawn. C.
I made this last year and saved it to Pinterest. Last year I added some baked chicken tenders to it and it was so good. I’m making it today and this time I’m adding more spinach and baked/broiled salmon. It’s going to be delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love pasta but I don’t eat it a lot. This recipe and fettuccine alfredo with chicken or salmon are my favorite pasta dishes. Yummy!!
Katia
I’m so pleased it’s one of your favorite pasta dishes! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback. 🤩