EASY LEMON RICOTTA PASTA & SPINACH

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.

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.

Creamy lemon ricotta pasta with spinach on a white plate.

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

The ingredients for this lemon ricotta pasta are arranged on a white marble table.

  • 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

Ricotta, lemon zest, olive oil and parmesan are mixed with a spoon on a glass bowl.

  • 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! 

Lemon ricotta pasta with spinach and lemon wedges on a white background.

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.

A fork is lifting some creamy lemon ricotta pasta noodles.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?

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!

Creamy lemon ricotta pasta with spinach on a white plate.
Print Recipe
4.87 from 155 votes

Lemon ricotta pasta & spinach

This light and zesty lemon ricotta pasta with spinach makes a delish weeknight meal ready in less than 15 minutes. Simple, fresh ingredients, delicious flavor, and minimal effort.
Prep Time13 minutes
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Lemon ricotta pasta
Servings: 3
Calories: 538kcal
Author: Katia

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!

Video

Notes

Cooking water: add pasta water gradually, you might not need all of it. You don't want to water down the flavor, but only make spaghetti nice and moist. If you think the reserved water is not enough, you might add a few Tbsps of milk.
Pasta: you can use any short, large or long pasta shapes that work well to capture the creamy ricotta. I love spaghetti, but penne, fusilli, conchiglie work fine. Mini pasta shapes like orzo or even elbow macaroni don’t work well in the recipe.
NOTE: Nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7661IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 403mg | Iron: 4mg
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. #pastarecipes #spaghetti #easyrecipes #quickmeals

437 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was incredible! One of our favourites now! Tastes like something from a gourmet restaurant. My partner even loved it and could stop eating it! I added portobello mushrooms and broccolini and a splash of white wine and it was perfect.

    1. You’ve just made my day, Cassie! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback.
      Have a nice weekend. x

  2. 5 stars
    We tried this for the first time and it was so lovely with fantastic fresh flavours. Such a nice change and has been added to our list of favourites. It will be a lovely summer meal, my husband is going to add crispy lardon bits on top next time, I’m keeping it exactly as is 🙂 Love your photos, so beautiful and refreshing. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Thank you so much, Sharon! I’m so pleased you loved it, and thanks for sharing your lovely feedback. Have a nice weekend x

    2. I did not enjoy this recipe, although, I didn’t dislike it. I think it was the quality of the ricotta (part skim) we used, which rendered it flavorless–although, I added more salt, olive oil, lemon, parmesan cheese and basil. One simply can’t get fresh or whole milk ricotta in a small town. I wouldn’t make it again unless I get back to New York.

    3. Hi Amy, I un understand if you didn’t enjoy the result, it sounds pretty bland. Ricotta varies tremendously in quality, sometimes products labelled as ricotta have nothing to do with ricotta in terms of texture and flavor. I hope you can make it again. x

  3. 5 stars
    Amazing, I just subbed Miracle noodles though to cut back on all those carbs and a protein, thank you!

    1. I’m so pleased, Noire! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. Cheers x

  4. 5 stars
    Absolutely perfect & easy! I can also see the potential for adding different veggies and protein to it!! So good as is with warmed ciabatta and mixed salad on the side 🙂

    1. I’m so pleased to hear that, Denise! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback and have a nice weekend. x

  5. 5 stars
    Sooo good! Made this tonight, only add was some teaspoons of Chicken Better Than Bouillon which for me replaces the salt seasoning, great recipe! KN

    1. I’m so pleased to hear that, Kan! Thanks so much for sharing with us your lovely feedback. x

  6. 5 stars
    Absolutely fantastic!! Quick and super easy to make. I would definitely pay money for this in a restaurant.

    1. You’ve made my day, Heather! 🤩 Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback.x

  7. 5 stars
    Enjoyed this clever meal!!! Even my husband, who “doesn’t like lemon”, had seconds. Thank you for posting this quick and delicious recipe.

    1. You’re so welcome, Mary! Your lovely feedback makes me happy, 😊 I’m so glad you and your husband loved this recipe. Cheers x

  8. 5 stars
    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!

    1. You’re so welcome, Wendy! 🤩 Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback. x

    1. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! 😊

  9. 5 stars
    It looks super quick and easy to make. Perfect for busy mums. Thank you for this! I’m excited to try this 🙂

    1. You’re very welcome! Enjoy it. 😊

    2. Are you able to use spaghetti squash instead of actual pasta? This looks great!

    3. HI! I’ve never tried this recipe with spaghetti squash, but some of my readers used zucchini noodles instead and it was fine. Let me know if you give it a go 🙂 Cheers x

  10. Debbie Stokes says:

    Could you use the wide rice noodles? Got to try this. Making me hungry!

    1. I’ve never used wide rice noodles in this recipe, but it’s worth giving a try (if you don’t have regular pasta). 😉

    2. Yes, that would be a perfect combination!

  11. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Thanks for your lovely comment, Rita! 😊 I’m so pleased you guys loved it! x

  12. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, Sandra! I’m so glad it turned out delicious 😊

  13. Leticia Medeiros Centeno says:

    5 stars
    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! 🙂

    1. Thanks for sharing your feedback, Leticia! I’m so pleased you love it 😉 x

  14. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating