Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Printable)

Creamy ricotta and zesty lemon coat delicate spaghetti in this elegant, quick Italian pasta dish.

# 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 - Freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

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 while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta without feeling heavy or rich.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you were really just boiling water and stirring a bowl.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not optional, it's the secret ingredient that turns a thick ricotta mixture into a silky sauce that actually sticks to the noodles.
  • Don't rinse your pasta after draining, you need that starchy coating to help the sauce cling.
  • Add the hot pasta to the sauce, not the other way around, so the heat gently warms the ricotta without breaking it.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it, it's nearly impossible to zest a juiced lemon and you'll end up frustrated.
  • Use a light hand with the garlic, too much will overpower the delicate lemon and ricotta flavors.
  • If your ricotta is watery, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve for ten minutes before mixing so your sauce doesn't turn soupy.
  • Toss the pasta in the bowl instead of a hot pan so the ricotta stays creamy instead of scrambling from direct heat.
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