Lemon Ricotta Pasta With Arugula (Printable version)
Bright, creamy pasta with tangy lemon zest and peppery arugula
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt, for pasta water
→ Ricotta Lemon Sauce
03 - 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
04 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 clove garlic, finely minced
08 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
→ Greens & Finish
10 - 3 cups fresh arugula, loosely packed
11 - Additional Parmesan, for serving
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, olive oil, minced garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
03 - Return drained pasta to the pot. Add ricotta lemon sauce and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss until evenly coated, adding more pasta water as needed for a silky consistency.
04 - Gently fold in fresh arugula, allowing residual heat to wilt the leaves slightly.
05 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The ricotta creates this incredibly silky sauce without any heavy cream or butter
- Lemon and arugula make each forkful feel bright and fresh, never heavy
- It comes together so fast you'll be eating before your delivery app would even load
02 -
- The sauce thickens quickly as it cools, so keep that pasta water handy to loosen it up
- Add the arugula off the heat so it wilts gently rather than turning to mush
- Room temperature ricotta blends more smoothly than cold straight from the fridge
03 -
- Zest your lemon before juicing it, you'll need both and it's easier this way
- Use a microplane or fine grater for the garlic so it virtually disappears into the sauce