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!
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!
Loved this! I sautéed some chicken separately and served with the Rao’s pasta. Well liked by everyone!
Great to hear that, Charlene! Thanks so much for sharing.
Have a great weekend. x
What a delicious and easy recipe, and so versatile. I sauteed my garlic to take the bite out, added a few artichokes to the garlic, let that sit. Later added the cheese mix to it, and eventually the pasta/spinach combo. I didn’t have quite enough ricotta, so used some goat cheese. I also added some fresh basil. Thank you for a simple, but great recipe!
I’m very glad it turned out delicious!
Thanks for rating the recipe and for sharing your lovely feedback, Meri. x
Would it be ok with I substitute Parmesan for Pecorino Romano cheese as that what I have left over in my fridge?
Yes, I think it should be fine.
Enjoy : )
Can I use cottage cheese instead of the ricotta?
Hi Alissa! Cottage cheese is less smooth than ricotta and with a lumpier texture, but you can use it in the recipe, just keep in mind the end result will be a bit different. x
just wondering can save a portion in the fridge ?
Hi Angela! Yes, you can : )
This was amazing ! My teenage sons made it for me tonight for Mother’s Day! They are new in the kitchen & quadrupled the recipe ! Lol which was a good thing because there’s just enough left over for my 19 year old to
Have his second dinner at midnight !
Fantastic! I’m so glad it was a hit with the whole family : )
Thanks so much for sharing, Angela. xx
Yum! Halving the recipe was the perfect amount for 1 person. I also added mushroom, broccoli, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, baby capers and toasted pine nuts. Will definitely make again!
Love your feedback, Evie! : )
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing. xx
My ricotta mixture was grainy/gritty. What did I do wrong? Also, I added too much pasta water and it definitely took a lot of flavor away.
Hi Deb, you didn’t do anything wrong, sometimes ricotta can be gritty, it depends on the quality and varies from brand to brand. xx
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Lemon is my all time favorite. By the way, the cheese source didn’t come out creamy but curdy. What did I did wrong?
Hi Chi, thanks so much for your feedback! : )
Sometimes ricotta has a weird grainy texture – sign that the milk was heated too hot during production – and you can see it and taste it straight away before making this recipe.
It’s not your mistake, and it’s not the lemon or the heat that comes from the pasta, it’s just its quality. Next time try to whip it with a touch of milk to make it smoother.
I see the same thing when I change brand, although the method to make this ricotta pasta is always the same. x
This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I really want to try it!
Thank you so much!
Great to hear that! Enjoy. : )
How much lemon juice do you use? It is not listed in the ingredients but in the directions it states to combing the juice. I’m assuming that is the lemon juice.
Hi Tina, “1 UNWAXED LEMON, ZEST AND JUICE”, it’s listed in the ingredients.
Check out the recipe, it’s at the bottom of the page. x
I have 6 in our home – and I see this is intended for 3 servings. We typically make a pound of pasta for the 6 of us – and curious if you would recommend a straight up doubling of the sauce ingredients or would that be too much (I feel like 2 c of ricotta sounds like a lot, lol!)?
Hey Casey! If you prefer generous servings with a decent amount of luscious ricotta sauce (like the one you see in the photo) you need to double all the ingredients.
You can use 1 cup only, or even 1.5 cup, just keep in mind you’ll end up with less sauce, hopefully you’ll enjoy it anyway. x
Absolutely delicious pasta dish! I made it exactly to the recipe, had to hold myself back from having thirds! Will be serving this as part of our Easter meal! A company worthy dish!
Fantastic, Laura… you’ve just made my day! : )
So glad to hear you loved it, and have a great weekend. x
quickest and tastiest pasta recipe!
Great! Thanks for taking the time to share, I’m very happy to hear that. x
wonderful Meatless Monday addition!
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing Loni… and have a lovely Meatless Monday! ; )
absolutely delicious recipe! i used with the organic lemon torchietti pasta from trader joes, and i added some roasted zucchini and yellow squash i had in the fridge. topped it with sauteed chopped roasted garlic chicken sausage and it all paired well together! perfect ingredient ratios and measurements for the sauce! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thanks for your wonderful feedback, Blair!
I’m so pleased to hear it turned out delicious and paired so well with your add-ins.
Have a great week. x