Lemon Ricotta Pasta (Printable)

Zesty lemon and creamy ricotta coat spaghetti in this bright, elegant Italian pasta. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners or light lunches.

# 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 for garnish
12 - Freshly ground black pepper

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

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, no fancy techniques required.
  • The lemony ricotta clings to every strand and tastes bright and creamy all at once.
  • You can dress it up with herbs or keep it bare bones, and it always feels like a treat.
02 -
  • Don't drain the pasta completely dry or rinse it, the starchy water is what helps the ricotta sauce cling instead of clumping.
  • Toss the pasta while it's still hot so the ricotta melts into a creamy coating instead of staying grainy.
  • Taste the sauce before you add it to the pasta and adjust the lemon or salt, it's easier to fix it in the bowl than in your serving dish.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the ricotta so the fragrant oils fall right into the sauce.
  • If your ricotta looks watery, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve for ten minutes before mixing to keep the sauce from getting thin.
  • Toss the pasta in the bowl instead of the pot so you can control how much pasta water you add without overdoing it.
Go Back