Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Printable)

Delicate spaghetti tossed with creamy ricotta, bright lemon juice, and fresh Parmesan for an elegant yet simple weeknight meal.

# What You 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 - Black pepper, freshly ground

# How-To 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 - 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, more lemon zest, and a grind of black pepper.
05 - Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, so dinner is on the table in under half an hour.
  • The ricotta sauce is so silky and gentle it feels like eating a cloud with a hint of citrus.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, and the ones you don't are worth keeping around.
  • It's elegant enough to serve to guests but easy enough to make on a random Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip the pasta water, it contains starch that helps the ricotta cling to the noodles instead of sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Use the ricotta at room temperature if you can, cold ricotta doesn't mix as smoothly and can make the sauce feel a little grainy.
  • Taste the sauce before tossing, you might want more lemon juice or salt depending on your ricotta and Parmesan.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the ricotta so none of those precious oils go to waste.
  • If your ricotta seems watery, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve for 10 minutes before mixing, it'll make your sauce thicker and more luxurious.
  • Always taste your pasta water before draining, if it's not salty enough, your final dish will taste flat no matter how much you season the sauce.
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