EASY LEMON RICOTTA PASTA & SPINACH
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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.
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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!Â
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. Â 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.Â
- 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!
Great and simple recipes. Made some small modifications: blended full fat ricotta with fat free cottage cheese as a good source of protein. Sautéed frozen spinach with onions before adding ricotta mixture to the pot. Definitely would make again. Maybe add some sun dried tomatoes next time and lean chicken/fish. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing your feedback, Christina. x
My husband made this recipe for dinner, Delicious! Thank you, we enjoyed.
That’s lovely to hear! Thanks so much for sharing, Ann. x
My ricotta mixture curdled. What did I do wrong?
Hi Ellie, did it curdle before or after adding it to the pot?
In the first case, if the ricotta looks grainy, you can blend or whisk it vigourously with a touch of milk to make it smoother (before using it in the recipe).
In the second case, make sure you don’t combine pasta and ricotta mixture over medium or high heat. Overheating can ruin the texture. x
Sounds so delicious!
Can this recipe be made to freeze for later consumption?
Hi Brianne! : ) I don’t recommend freezing this pasta with ricotta, unfortunately.
The freezing process will affect the texture of both pasta and ricotta sauce making it watery and grainy. x
This is a really great recipe!! I have made it 2 times since I love it so much. The taste is one of the very best that I have seen online. I appreciate this recipe and I will look at many more of your recipies. Thanks!!
Thanks so much for sharing, Bobbie! I’m very glad you loved this recipe. : )
Delicious! I used farfalle pasta and served it with scallops. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing. x
Great recipe! Perfect for a quick summer meal. I used protein pasta to boost the protein content.
That’s lovely to hear! Thanks for sharing, Marsha – I’m so pleased you enjoyed it. x
This is so YUM!! I wanted to do a fridge/freezer cleanout meal with a tub of ricotta I’ve been struggling to get through along with some frozen spinach and some store-bought ravioli and it was perfect! The zing from the lemon perfectly balanced the creaminess of the ricotta and sweetness of the ravioli (we had a packet of pumpkin ravioli). Will definitely be adding to the weeknight meal roster!
That’s wonderful! Your feedback is very much appreaciated, Shakti. : )
Thank you. x
Hey, how much lemon juice to add? can you give a quantity in like grams or ml? I added like lemon juice from one small lemon into 50g of ricotta, and it didn’t end up tasting lemon-y at all
Hi, you need the juice from a medium-sized lemon (about 30-45 ml) for 250 grams or ricotta, and make sure you use the whole lemon zest that packs big lemon flavor!
I’m surprised the juice from one lemon for only 50 grams of ricotta is not lemon-y enough for you. Make sure to adjust the flavor to your taste, and do not skip the lemon zest! x
Can I substitute ricotta for cottage cheese?
Hi! You can try, but flavor and texture are different, and cottage cheese is not smooth and creamy like ricotta. x
Fantastic and easy! I don’t usually leave reviews but everyone in my family loved it. A nice non-tomato pasta recipe and the ricotta mixture makes it feel like alfredo without the heaviness. Added grilled shrimp but really can add chicken easily too. Next time will up the spinach and maybe add zucchini or broccoli to get more veggies in. Adding to our regular rotation!
What a wonderful feedback, Monica, that’s so appreciated!
I’m so pleased everyone loved it, thanks for taking the time to share. : )
Love the combination of varying the ingredients. I adore lemon zest & juice in my cooking whenever possible – so this dish will be tonight’s supper for us. Thank you for the recipe X
You’re welcome Maria! I’m so pleased you love the recipe – thanks for sharing. : )
Really enjoyed this pasta. BUT It is Imp to do a few steps before hand- ie., grate the cheese, zest the lemon, de stem the spinach, mince the garlic, snip some chives (if using). Once you get all this done, start cooking!
I grilled a tuna steak to med rare, and when cooled, I sliced it and tossed it into the pasta for extra protein. We used lo fat ricotta. Happy with this, and will make it again!
Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing. : )
Very tasty and the whole family loved. We have to be gluten free and dairy free so I subbed Treeline non-dairy cashew ricotta, Follow Your Heart dairy free Parmesan and bionature gluten free linguine. I added 12 oz organic peas and topped with shredded basil and even dairy-lovers enjoyed.
Great! I’m so pleased to hear the whole family loved it. Thanks so much for sharing the gf options and for rating the recipe, Katie. x
Very tasty and the whole family loved. I used Treeline non-dairy cashew ricotta, Follow Your Heart dairy free Parmesan and bionature gluten free linguine. I added 12 oz organic peas and topped with shredded basil and even dairy-lovers enjoyed! I served with pan seared salmon which could also be mixed in.
Made this and added garlic shrimp and a few veggies – it was delicious. Love the lemon flavour. I do prefer cooked garlic so could taste the raw garlic in the sauce. Next time I will save the garlic just for the shrimp or veg. Love the protein content as well!
Hi Tammy, I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe. x
I can’t wait to make this especially the idea of adding shrimp and asparagus! My mouth is watering! It’s only 11:36 AM, but if I had the ingredients on hand, I’d make this right now for lunch… Just for me! 😆
That sounds delicious! I’m sure shrimp and asparagus make a great combination here. Now go and get the ingredients!!
Thanks for your feedback: )