Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Delicate spaghetti coated in creamy ricotta and bright lemon sauce. An easy, elegant Italian pasta dish ready in 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 - Lemon zest, extra
12 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Steps:

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 - 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 hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like you hired a private chef.
  • The creamy ricotta clings to every strand without feeling heavy or guilty.
  • Lemon zest does something almost electric here, turning simple ingredients into something you want to eat with your eyes closed.
  • You can make it with what's already in your kitchen on any random weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Add the pasta to the sauce while it's still hot, the warmth is what makes the ricotta melt and coat instead of clumping.
  • If your sauce feels too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time, it transforms from paste to silk in seconds.
03 -
  • Grate the garlic on a microplane instead of mincing it, the finer texture melts into the sauce without any harsh raw bite.
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it, trying to zest a juiced lemon is a slippery, frustrating mess.
  • If the sauce breaks or looks grainy, whisk in a tablespoon of warm pasta water off the heat and it will come back together like nothing happened.
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