Pasta is notoriously the best and quickest comfort food, whether it’s boxed mac and cheese or the good old ramen standby, it’s so simple to make and perennially delicious. But if you’re trying to live a bit healthier, or you just want to steer clear of all the added preservatives, then the good news is that you can still enjoy the joys of instant pasta with a few fresh ingredients.
This Lemon Ricotta Pasta utilises the natural creaminess of ricotta cheese plus the starchiness of pasta water to create a luscious emulsion of a sauce. The lemon is the real magic here though creating a unique freshness and a tart edge that balances out the carbs to perfection.
It also stores well for a few days, simply reheat it with a splash of milk to keep it from drying out and you have a lunch, dinner or snack ready to go.
Ingredients
- 60 gms spaghetti
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon (plus reserve some for garnish)
- ¼ cup pasta water
- Chopped parsley
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, testing a few minutes before the package instructions indicate.
- Using a glass liquid measuring cup, reserve ½ cup of the hot pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- In a saucepan, mix the ricotta, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and ¼ cup pasta water.
- Warm over medium heat and stir until a creamy sauce forms, about 1 minute.
- Pour the sauce onto the noodles and stir to combine. Add another splash of pasta water to help the sauce coat the noodles.
- Serve with chopped parsley, additional grated Parmesan cheese and the reserved lemon zest.