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.
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!
Hey! this looks great, but I’m out of ricotta cheese. Do you think cream cheese will work well?
Hi! Cream cheese is firmer than ricotta and with a richer flavor, less refreshing in my opinion.
However, I think it will work if you add a splash of milk (or pasta water) and extra lemon zest when you mix the ingredients for the sauce 😊
I made this with gluten free pasta and a container of Kite Hill almond milk ricotta. I added the red pepper flakes. Thank you so much. This is one of the best meals ever. So simple but bursting with flavor ❤️❤️❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😍 Thanks a million for your comment, Leigh! x
Awesome recipe! It was delish! I also added fresh roasted cherry tomatoes I made for an extra pop of flavor. Yum!!
Thank you so much, Michelle! Roasted cherry tomatoes sound delicious 😊
Katia this recipe was a big hit! Fresh flavors and so simple to make. I took your suggestion and added red pepper flakes(1/4 teaspoon) which gave the sauce a very subtle kick. Absolutely perfect! Thank you so much.
You’re so welcome, Rob! 😊 I’m glad it was a hit and thanks for your comment x
I I didn’t cook the spinach for the 1 min the recipe says. Just dumped it into the water, gave the pot a swirl, and then drained. Next time I make it, I will use more spinach – at least 10 ounces.
Thanks for your comment, Kisa! More spinach or more vegetables of your choice work beautifully in this recipe, I’m glad you liked it 😊
Dear Katia – I did not see how much lemon juice or zest to use – can you give me an idea? I really want to make this!
Of course, Suzanne! You need the juice and the zest of 1 lemon, plus a few lemon wedges to serve if you wish (quantities are in the recipe).
Let me know how it turns out 😊 x
very nice. dinner. I loved the fresh lemon flavour layered within the garlic and cheese.s. I like that it is fast and easy and open to so may possibilities. Thanks for sharing this. I am sure I will make this again in many different ways. Geri
I’m so pleased you liked it, Geri! Thanks a lot for your feedback xx
I just made this last night. Bravo!!!!
My husband has to be the number 1 pickiest eater and he
Loved it! He said if we ordered this dish at a restaurant it would cost us 20.00 dollars. Love Pinterest 😍
Aahaha you’ve made my day, Rhonda! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed it (and saved $$ LOL). Thanks for your lovely comment 💛
So delicious. I added grilled jumbo shrimp, as we love lemon pasta with shrimp. I made a double batch so we can enjoy again. Thank you for such a nice quick recipe.
Wow, it sounds great with jumbo shrimp! 😍 Thanks so much, I’m glad you liked it x
I have a container of fat-free ricotta. Will that work? Or does it really need to be whole milk ricotta?
Thanks for your question, Penny! Go for fat-free ricotta then, it’s less rich than full-fat ricotta but it works. I would add extra parmesan cheese to enhance the flavor x
Thanks for the tip on the extra parm, Katia! I don’t normally buy fat-free, but I made a mistake so will be happy to use some up.
I love this recipe. It is sure to be a go to quick and easy dinner. Seriously, one bowl, one pan AND done in the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta. ?? Soooo flavorful. I used peas instead of spinach, it’s what I had on hand, I loved it with the peas!!! I added a pinch of red pepper flakes and used basil salt. Thanks for such a great dish.
You can’t go wrong with peas, creamy ricotta, and lemon 🙂 Thank so much for sharing your feedback, Lola! x
I love this easy, low ingredient recipe. The flavor was great, but I had issues with my consistency. I admittedly think I used too much pasta, but my “sauce” got kinda clumpy and not smooth and creamy. Any ideas on what I might have done wrong? Possibly too much water or maybe not enough? I’m definitely wanting to try again and perfect it. Thank you!
Thanks or your comment, Liz! I think the wrong consistency is related to grainy or gritty ricotta rather than the amount of water you used. Next time, if your ricotta turns to be grainy again, place it in a colander for at least a couple of hours and let the excess liquid drain out. Plus, when you make the sauce, add a tiny amount of milk and whisk vigorously. This should be enough to give you a smooth texture 🙂
I found I needed to use all the reserved water. To thin it down. Thank you for the tip on the ricotta, do you have a brand you recommend?
I use Galbani. I’m based in the UK, but I used to find the same brand in the USA 🙂
Very simple.I used a lemon olive oil so extra lemon flavour. Next time I would really load up on whatever leafy green
I am using. Adjust the seasonings to your own preference. I rather heavily salted the pasta water and that could make
the difference.I will try some dried chilli flakes next time. We enjoyed it for a summer pasta meal and I would make it again.Thanks!
I’m glad you liked it, Jay! Extra veggies and chili flakes sound great, thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
I was looking for something different and this looks so good. I’m going to add some shrimp and red pepper flakes. Trying it later in the week. Can’t wait!
Sounds delicious, Terri! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Could I use frozen spinach? If yes, how much would be equivalent?
Hi Yvonne, yes you can. You might use more or less 5-6 oz of frozen spinach (but you can add a bit more if you like). Then add your thawed and drained spinach to the pasta boiling water 🙂