Description
This Best Lemon Ricotta Pasta recipe offers a creamy and refreshing dish perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Featuring fettuccine tossed in a zesty lemon-ricotta sauce with spinach and topped with crunchy toasted breadcrumbs and Parmesan, this dish balances creaminess, tang, and texture in every bite.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta
Sauce and Toppings
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 6 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the fettuccine until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Drizzle a little olive oil over the drained pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Keep warm.
- Toast Breadcrumbs: In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and Italian seasoning, toast until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook Garlic: In the same skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter along with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the thinly sliced garlic and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
- Wilt Spinach: Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir, cooking until it wilts completely, about 2 minutes.
- Add Lemon and Ricotta: Stir in the lemon juice and zest, then add the whole-milk ricotta cheese. Cook and stir gently until the mixture becomes creamy and warm, about 2-3 minutes.
- Toss Pasta: Add the cooked fettuccine to the skillet and toss to coat it evenly with the lemon ricotta sauce. Pour in half of the reserved pasta water and stir; add more pasta water if needed to reach desired sauce consistency.
- Add Cheese and Seasoning: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and black pepper, adjusting to taste.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish generously with the toasted breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan cheese for added texture and flavor. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Reserved pasta water helps to loosen the sauce and helps it coat the pasta better.
- Be careful when frying garlic as it can burn quickly and become bitter.
- For extra brightness, add a little lemon zest on top before serving.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for larger groups.
- Use fresh spinach for best texture and flavor; baby spinach works well too.
