Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Print View)

Delicate spaghetti coated in a bright, creamy ricotta and lemon sauce. A simple, elegant dish ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti
02 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water

→ Ricotta-Lemon Sauce

03 - 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
04 - 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
05 - 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped
11 - Additional lemon zest
12 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and salt until smooth and creamy.
03 - Add the hot drained spaghetti to the bowl with the ricotta-lemon sauce. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta luxuriously.
04 - Divide among bowls. Top with extra Parmesan, fresh basil or parsley, additional lemon zest, and a grind of black pepper.
05 - Serve immediately while pasta is hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen.
  • The creamy ricotta and sharp lemon create a sauce so silky you'll forget it has no cream or butter.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, and if you don't, they're all easy to grab on the way home.
02 -
  • The sauce will look too thick at first, but the hot pasta and starchy water will loosen it into a glossy coating, so don't panic and add all the water at once.
  • If you skip reserving the pasta water, you'll end up with clumpy ricotta instead of a smooth sauce, and there's no going back once it's drained.
  • This pasta waits for no one, it dries out and tightens up as it cools, so have everyone at the table before you start tossing.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the ricotta so those fragrant oils fall right into the bowl and nothing is wasted.
  • Toss the pasta in the bowl instead of a hot pan so the ricotta stays creamy and doesn't separate or turn grainy from the heat.
  • Warm your serving bowls with hot water first, it keeps the pasta from cooling down too fast and helps the sauce stay silky.
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