Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 7 oz pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine or rigatoni 5 oz whole-milk ricotta 1 oz finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving 1 medium lemon 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water 1/3 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water Fresh basil or parsley, optional Instructions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions.

While the pasta cooks, add the ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, black pepper and salt to a large bowl.

Finely grate the zest of the lemon directly into the bowl. Cut the lemon in half and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Stir everything together until combined.

Just before draining the pasta, scoop out at least 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Add the hot drained pasta directly to the ricotta mixture. Pour in about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss well.

Keep tossing until the ricotta loosens into a smooth, creamy sauce that coats the pasta. Add another splash of pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.

Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt or black pepper as needed.

Divide between two bowls and finish with extra Parmesan, a little lemon zest and another drizzle of olive oil. Add torn basil or chopped parsley if you have some around.

Serve immediately.

Notes

Whole-milk ricotta gives the best texture here. Low-fat ricotta works, but the sauce will be slightly less rich.

Don’t skip the pasta water. The starch helps turn the ricotta into a proper sauce instead of leaving it clinging to the pasta in little lumps.

If you want to make it a little more substantial, add peas, spinach, roasted asparagus or shredded chicken.