Description
A simple, quick pasta dish featuring a creamy lemon ricotta sauce, fresh spinach, and toasted pine nuts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz pasta (e.g., linguine or spaghetti)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the spinach to the skillet in batches, stirring until it wilts down. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the ricotta mixture and stir until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the drained pasta and the wilted spinach mixture to the ricotta sauce. Toss well to coat everything evenly. Add more pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, if the sauce is too thick.
- Serve immediately, topped with the toasted pine nuts.
Notes
- Use whole milk ricotta for the creamiest texture.
- Toast the pine nuts carefully as they burn quickly.
- You can substitute walnuts for pine nuts if needed.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 65
Keywords: ricotta pasta, lemon pasta, spinach pasta, pine nuts, vegetarian pasta, quick dinner