Description
Bright, creamy, and packed with fresh flavor, this Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Spinach and Toasted Pine Nuts is the ultimate weeknight comfort dish that feels fancy but comes together fast.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz dry linguine or fettuccine
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- In a small dry pan, toast pine nuts over medium heat until golden and fragrant, then set aside.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the drained pasta and spinach to the skillet, tossing until the spinach is just wilted.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the ricotta mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and coat the pasta evenly.
- Top with toasted pine nuts and give everything one final toss before serving.
Notes
- Use whole milk ricotta for the creamiest result.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest—it adds a ton of fresh flavor.
- Toast pine nuts carefully—they can burn quickly.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 35mg