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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!
Brenda Wilson
This is amazing! Fresh and bright. I sautéed a few shrimp that I tossed in Cajun seasoning. Chopped some green onion and pickled jalapeno and added the onion and jalapeño to the ricotta mixture. Blended everything together minus the shrimp and part of the green onions. Plated it topped with shrimp, parmesan and green onion along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Really enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Katia
You’re so welcome, Brenda! I love it with shrimps, that sounds delicious.
Thanks for taking the time to share. : )
Jenny
Delicious. Just wondering, can I warm it up for next day?
Katia
Glad you liked it and thanks for sharing, Jenny! : )
Yes, store it in the refrigerator, then you can reheat it adding a touch of milk or water, but make sure you warm it quickly to prevent overcooking. x
Carol
Just curious why recipe does not print. It is a mystery why some bloggers block the recipes and they give the option to print .
Katia
Good question, Carol. I thought the printable option was working, I’ll be looking into it asap.
Thank you! x
Naomi
Can portions of this be frozen?
Katia
hey Naomi, it’s not freezer-friendly I’m afraid. x
Wing
Can I use frozen baby spinach? Thanks!
Katia
Hi! Yes, you can, but thaw your frozen spinach first. x
Virginia
I used baby peas!! And added complete seasoning!! Excellent!!!!!
Katia
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing, Virginia. : )
Kara
The recipe looks amazing and I want to try it soon, but we don’t have any parmesan in the house and don’t want to buy a big chunk just for this recipe. Any suggestions for substituting for the parmesan? Is it ok to leave out entirely?
Katia
HI Kara! The savory Parmesan cheese adds depth of flavor and makes the sauce richer. But you can leave it out if you wish, the end result will be lighter and maybe less interesting, but it’s worth trying! : )
Nikki
This recipe is so delicious and so easy to make. I had ricotta that I didn’t know what to do with, and now this recipe has become a staple in our house! The punch of lemon is fantastic, and my 10 month old daughter loves the dish too.
Katia
That’s brilliant, I’m so happy you guys love this ricotta pasta, including the little one. : )
I appreciate your sharing, Nikki, thank you! x
Carly
So easy and delicious! I used a whisk and it turned out so creamy! I didn’t have spinach, but arugula worked just as well! I just added it in at the end and mixed. Goes very well with a side of broccoli. Save the water!! Very important and had to add a little when I reheated.
Katia
Great! I’m so happy you it turned out delicious, Carly!
Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback with us. Cheers xx
Allison C
Amazing and easy! Perfect with veggies or chicken. Nice by itself for a meal too.
Katia
Thanks so much for sharing your fantastic feedback, Allison : )
I’m so happy you loved it! xx
jan
I made this with gluten free Penne …. oh my goodness. delicious!!!!
i noticed thought that when i increase the servings the metric measurements don’t change.
i also made it with like 5 garlic cloves and chilli flakes! sooo yumm. thanks for an amazing veggie weeknight din!
Katia
That’s great, thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Jan! : )
(ps. I’ll be checking the recipe card and see why didn’t work).
Cheers xx
Jacqueline
It was very good but I noticed it curdled a little bit. Any tips to prevent this?
Katia
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Jacqueline. : )
Sometimes you get the curdled texture because of the lemon juice or because of the heat. Make sure you use whole milk ricotta (the higher fat content helps when you add the lemon juice) and avoid to heat the ricotta sauce. Cheers. x