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!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!
I was wondering if you could use cottage cheese instead of ricotta? my mom would sub cottage cheese for ricotta ,I am thinking if I blended it the cottage cheese would be smooth. I am not a fan of ricotta because the texture is always grainy,any suggestions would be great thanks.
Hi Kim! I’ve never tried cottage cheese in pasta recipes, but if you’re not a big fan of ricotta because of the texture, I think cottage cheese will work too.
Just make sure not to skip the parmesan cheese to add salty, tangy richness and umami flavor. Let me know how it turns out : ).
Cheers x
I had ricotta in the fridge as well as some frozen spinach that I made the other week ready to make sausage rolls for school lunches, but I couldn’t be bothered waiting for the pastry to thaw. So jumped on google and this was the first recipe that popped up. So fresh, delicious and creamy. So glad I changed my mind. I tossed the sauce in some linguine and added cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley and basil. Super tasty.
I’m so happy to hear that, Vick! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.
Have a lovely week! x
Loved this and so did my picky eaters! Win-Win!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Jamie! I’m so pleased you guys loved it. Cheers x
Hey, when we made this, the actual recipe instructions on the card part are not correct and come off misunderstood as far as pots and mixing. We ended up boiling the leaves separate, but the recipe calls to almost go backwards.
Hi Leah, the instructions are correct and there’s a video recipe to explain how to make it. Sorry to hear you found the recipe confusing.
Cheers.
Turned out okay but not my favorite dish. Was a decent light dinner on a summer night but the spinach kinda clumped together and the sauce was more grainy than creamy.
Hi! Sometimes ricotta turns to be grainy, but that depends on its own quality and it affects the final result. Sorry if it wasn’t luscious and creamy as it should be. x
Perfect weeknight meal! My garden spinach was looking small, so I added pea tendrils and some fresh peas. This was a match made for a throw together busy weeknight. Thank you for posting, it was a hit in my home! Lots of room to build a meal that works for everyone!
Hi Natalie, I’m so happy to hear that, thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback!
Cheers x
Needed to use up part of a container of ricotta as well some spinach and this recipe popped up in a search. Fantastic taste, easy to make and the perfect summer lunch. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that, Robin! Thanks for your lovely comment. Cheers x
I actually used 11 oz. of spaghetti so I could serve 4, thinking I’d add more sauce if need be. I didn’t even need more. Yummy! And the red pepper flakes did taste good.
Thanks for sharing your lovely comment, Ruth… I’m so glad it turned out yummy!
Cheers x
Looking forward to trying this out this weekend. Do you recommend making the sauce ahead of time for the flavors to blend better? Or does that not make a difference here? Thanks!
Hi Zahra, yes, you can make the sauce ahead of time to let the flavors mingle together, 1 or 2 hours are fine. x
I’m so disappointed. I made this tonight for dinner. It was so bland! I kept re-reading recipe, thinking I had missed something! Very surprised by all of the positive reviews. I really wanted to like this!!!! But… it just did not work for us. Will not be going into my weekly dinner rotation.
Hi Jaki, sorry to hear it didn’t work for you, this recipe has been tested several times and my family and many other readers love it.
If you followed the instructions as written, and you cooked your pasta properly in salty water (that might affect the final result greatly!), then it becomes a matter of personal taste. Cheers x
I really liked this. Tastes very lemony which I love
I’m so happy to hear that, Beth! Thanks for your sharing your feedback. Cheers x
Try it again, but add additional seasonings that you like. Try a different veggie. I’m making this tonight but I don’t have spinach so I’ll look and see what I can throw in. Make it your own, u inquest dish!
I’m so glad to hear your feedback, Marlene! You enjoy this recipe and its versatility as much as I do. Thanks for sharing! x
Followed the recipe exactly! Thank you for posting grams too! This was lovely and will be added to my easy dinner rotation for sure.
Thank you for your lovely feedback, Sophie… I’m so pleased the recipe is now part of your dinner rotation!
Have a great weekend x
Is it ok to double the recipe?
It’s fine, but be sure you to use a large pot. x
Delicious and super easy! It was just what we were looking for on a hot summer day. I added pan fried chicken and blanched green beans. Would recommend!
Thanks for sharing your lovely comment, Teresa! I’m so glad to hear it was perfect for a summer day.
Have a lovely weekend. x
Fantastic recipe , so simple and Delicious. Thank You.
You’re very welcome, and thanks for sharing your lovely feedback!
Cheers x
This is a new favorite! Quick and delicious, and the whole family loved it!! We added sausage because that is what we had on hand, and it was really good. I think chicken would be even better. I didn’t add any other veggies this time, but mushrooms, peppers, and/or onions would also be a delicious addition and would up the veggie factor.
Hi Karen, I’m so happy to hear it was a hit with the whole family! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback. x
Still giving this five stars because I think this was user error, but the sauce on this turned out really thick and heavy for me. The mixture was delicious before I stirred it in! I think I may not have used enough pasta water or maybe used too little pasta altogether. I also added roasted cherry tomatoes and thought they went nicely.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Maggie! Yes, I think the pasta to liquid ratio didn’t work in this case, as you said it was probably too little pasta and too little cooking water.
But I’m glad it went down nicely, and next time it will be perfect if you give it another go. Cheers x
Just tried this tonight and it’s delicious. So light and fresh tasting, perfect for spring and summer. Thanks
I’m so pleased to hear that, Dian! It’s one of our favorite pasta dishes, so glad you loved it.
Have a nice weekend, Katia
This recipe won’t pin to my Pinterest. I clicked on the tab but nothing happens
Did you use the share button above the picture? I’ve just checked, and it works.
Cheers.