Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti or pasta of choice
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
¼ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon, zest and juice
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 (5-ounce) container baby spinach
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot, covered.
- In a high-speed blender, combine ricotta, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Blend until smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the ricotta mixture, ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, and baby spinach to the pot with the pasta. Set over low heat and cook until the sauce is creamy and the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Add more pasta water if needed to reach desired sauce consistency. Serve warm with extra grated parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Use any pasta shape you prefer, including gluten-free varieties.
- Add heavy cream instead of pasta water for extra richness.
- Swap spinach for kale, peas, broccoli, or green beans.
- Don’t rinse pasta after cooking; keep it hot for better sauce absorption.
- Use a blender (not food processor) for a super smooth sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 431
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 447mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 29mg
