Lemon Ricotta Pasta

You’ll love our lemon ricotta pasta recipe because it has a creamy and light texture, a refreshing lemony flavor, and you can add your favorite veggie.

We make it with spinach here, but the recipe is delicious with most vegetables, including frozen peas, roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, sautéed mushrooms, and more.

Check out the variations section below to see our recommendations.

The dish is inspired by pasta al limone, a classic Italian recipe that is a family favorite for its simplicity and taste.

The result is a beautiful combination of colors, textures, and flavors that we are sure you’ll love.

P.s. Are you vegan? Make this with our vegan ricotta and vegan parmesan.

Pasta

This lemon ricotta pasta works wonderfully with most pasta shapes.

We love it with rigatoni because the creamy sauce fills up its hollow shape, and when you bite into them, it’s a perfect balance between the sauce’s creamy texture and rigatoni’s chewy texture.

Other pasta shapes you can use are farfalle, conchiglie, fusilli, penne, ziti, or long-shaped noodles like spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, fusilli, penne, ziti, and more.

You can also use gluten-free pasta to make the recipe gluten-free.

Spinach (or other veggies)

Ricotta and spinach are one of the most used combinations of cheese and vegetables in Italian cooking.

Think about ravioli with spinach and ricotta, cannelloni, and other delicious stuffed pasta – they are divine together.

We recommend using fresh spinach because they look prettier. However, frozen spinach is also okay if you can’t find fresh ones.

You can replace spinach with most vegetables.

For example, try frozen peas (cook them with the pasta in the same pot), sautéed asparagus, roasted butternut squash, roasted kabocha squash, roasted cauliflower, roasted mushrooms, and much more.

Also, we recommend garnishing the pasta with fresh herbs such as thyme, fresh basil, or parsley.

Ricotta

You can use regular Italian whole milk ricotta cheese, which has a milky flavor and smooth texture that is lovely with pasta.

Or, if you want to keep the recipe dairy-free, use our homemade vegan ricotta.

Parmesan cheese

Grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano) adds a nutty and savory flavor to the ricotta sauce.

You can substitute pecorino Romano or pecorino Sardo for Parmesan if you want a sharper and spicy taste.

To keep the recipe dairy-free, substitute a grated non-dairy cheese for the parmesan.

Lemon

A touch of grated lemon zest cuts beautifully through this lemon ricotta pasta’s cheesy and creamy texture and flavors. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is optional.

Only zest the yellow peel of the lemon; the white pith can be bitter.

Olive oil

We recommend high-quality extra virgin olive oil with a fruity and nutty flavor.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is optional; it adds a warm and cozy aroma that melds beautifully with the ricotta and the spinach.

Salt and pepper

Both the pasta and the sauce need sea salt or kosher salt. Add a few twists of freshly ground black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Cook pasta and spinach

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the salt. Wait for the water to boil again, and add the pasta.

Stir, then halfway through, add the fresh spinach.

Cook the pasta al dente, as per package instructions. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.

Tip: you’ll need about 3 quarts (12 cups or 3 Liters) of water and 1 ½ tablespoons (21 grams) of salt for 12 ounces (340 grams) of pasta. 

Note: if you are using other fresh veggies (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) or frozen veggies (spinach, peas, cauliflower, etc.), you can still cook them with the pasta, but add them earlier as they’ll need to boil longer.

Make the lemon ricotta sauce

To a large mixing bowl, add ricotta, grated parmesan, olive oil, grated lemon zest, grated nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and a ladleful of pasta cooking water.

Tip: Only zest the yellow peel of the lemon; the white pith can be bitter.

Whisk well until the sauce is smooth and the ingredients well combined.

Toss the pasta

Once the pasta is al dente, reserve one cup of the starchy pasta water, drain the pasta, and toss it in a bowl with the ricotta sauce.

If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water to make it creamier.

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and some more grated lemon zest.

Lemon ricotta pasta with other veggies

Ricotta has such a mild and neutral flavor that you can pair it with most vegetables. Here are some suggestions.

Frozen peas	Cook them with the pasta just like the spinach. Add thyme leaves on top.
Roasted butternut squash	Roast it in the oven, then toss it in with the pasta.
Roasted cauliflower florets	Cook small florets in the oven, then toss them in with the pasta.
Sautéed asparagus	Sauté on the stovetop, then toss in with the pasta.
Roasted broccoli florets	Toss in with the pasta.
Steamed artichokes	Steam, then mash the artichokes with a fork and mix them with the ricotta sauce.
Roasted eggplant cubes	Cook them with the pasta just like the spinach. Add thyme leaves on top.
Roasted red peppers	Roast them, peel them, chop them up, and toss them with the pasta.
Sautéed or roasted mushrooms	Sauté on a pan or roast in the oven, then toss with the pasta.
Arugula	Toss it in with the pasta.
Cherry tomatoes	Halved, seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper,and tossed with the pasta.
Roasted zucchini	Bake in the oven, then toss them with the pasta.

Lemon pasta

If you want a simpler and lighter alternative for a quick everyday lunch or dinner, you might like our classic lemon pasta with garlic, lemon, and oil sauce instead of the cheese sauce.

This recipe is similar to the famous garlic and oil pasta but with the addition of lemon zest and lemon juice.

Check out our lemon pasta recipe.

Pasta al Limone

You’ll love this pasta al limone because it’s easy, creamy, and so tasty you’ll want to eat it daily.

The recipe is straight from Grandma’s recipe notebook. She would make this for my 96-year-old great-grandma when I was growing up, and I’d always manage to steal some from her plate before she sat down to eat it.

Check out our creamy pasta al limone recipe.

How to cook pasta?

You’ll need a large pot of salted water as follows:

• 8 ounces of pasta (230 grams): cook pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water (8 cups or 2 Liters) with 1 tablespoon of salt (15 grams). Serves 2 – 3 people.
• 12 ounces of pasta (340 grams): cook pasta in 3 quarts of boiling water (12 cups or 3 Liters) with 1 ½ tablespoons of salt (21 grams). Serves 4 people.
• 1 pound of pasta (450 grams): cook pasta in 1 gallon of boiling water (16 cups or 4 Liters) with 2 tablespoons of salt (30 grams). Serves 5-6 people.

How much pasta per person?

Guidelines recommend 2.1 to 3.5 ounces or 60 to 100 grams of pasta per person, depending on your calorie needs.

Pasta portion sizes vary if you have pasta as a main and only meal or if it’s part of a 2 – 3 course menu.

Also, remember that a simple pasta with tomato and basil will have substantially different calories and macros than baked ziti with cheese and meat.

For this lemon ricotta pasta with a rich ricotta and parmesan sauce I’d recommend staying on the low end of the guidelines, at around 3 ounces or less of pasta per person.

Here’s a simple summary:

• 3.5 ounces (100 grams) per person if the main meal;
• 2.8/3 ounces (80/90 grams) per person if part of a 2 – 3 course meal;
• 2/2.5 ounces (60/70 grams) per person if part of a 3+ course meal.

Make ahead: this is not the best recipe to make ahead because the ricotta sauce dries up and won’t be as creamy as when it’s just made.

Refrigerator: if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Ideally, keep some of the reserved pasta water too.

Reheat it on a large skillet on medium heat with a dash of reserved pasta water (or tap water) until the sauce is creamy again. One minute in the microwave is good too.

Serve with a quick and fresh side salad, such as:

• Easy side salad
• Italian side salad
• Fennel and orange salad
• Shirazi salad
• Cucumber tomato salad

Or if you are having this in colder months, try it with roasted or air-fried vegetables such as:

• Roasted cauliflower
• Air fried zucchini
• Roasted broccoli
• Air fried eggplant
• Roasted butternut squash
• Roasted mushrooms
• Mixed roasted vegetables

Love easy pasta? Find even more inspiration with these quick and simple dishes:

• Pasta with garlic and oil and plenty of authentic Italian flavor.
• Broccoli pasta with an easy mashed and creamy sauce.
• Spaghetti Pomodoro with a rich and easy 20-minute tomato sauce.
• Mushroom pasta: restaurant-worthy but easy pasta dinner.

Get your dose of leafy greens with these vibrant and wholesome spinach dinner ideas:

• Spinach stew (chickpeas, cumin, pine nuts, spinach, vegetable broth, etc.)
• Tofu with pizzaiola sauce (marinara sauce, tofu slices, garlic, oregano, etc.)
• Spinach and tofu cutlets (chickpea flour, spinach, breadcrumbs, olive oil, etc.)
• Lentil vegetable soup (onion, celery, vegetable broth, lentils, spinach, potato, etc.)

For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.