Best Lemony Ricotta Spaghetti Recipes

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ONE-POT PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND LEMON



One-Pot Pasta With Ricotta and Lemon image

This elegant, bright pasta dish comes together in about the same amount of time it takes to boil noodles and heat up a jar of store-bought marinara. The no-cook sauce is a 50-50 mix of ricotta and Parmesan, with the zest and juice of one lemon thrown in. That's it. To make it more filling, add peas, asparagus or spinach in the last few minutes of the pasta boiling, or stir in fresh arugula or watercress with the sauce in Step 3. It's a weeknight and for-company keeper any way you stir it.

Provided by Ali Slagle

Categories     dinner, easy, lunch, weekday, pastas, main course

Time 15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Kosher salt
1 pound short, ribbed pasta, like gemelli or penne
1 cup whole-milk ricotta (8 ounces)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino (2 ounces), plus more for serving
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
Black pepper
Red-pepper flakes, for serving
1/4 cup thinly sliced or torn basil leaves, for serving (optional)

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
  • In the same pot, make the sauce: Add the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir until well combined.
  • Add 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth. Add the pasta and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed for a smooth sauce.
  • Divide the pasta among bowls and top with some of the sauce that's pooled at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and basil, if using.

ONE-POT LEMON RICOTTA SPAGHETTONI



One-Pot Lemon Ricotta Spaghettoni image

Move over spaghetti: Your wider cousin, spaghettoni, is moving up the trending charts. Though only slightly thicker than regular spaghetti, the extra width helps it soak up the flavors of the sauce--in this case tangy lemon juice and fragrant scallions and garlic. This dish is cooked in just one pot (no need to bring water to a boil beforehand!), so it's a super quick and easy choice for weeknights. We top it off with creamy ricotta, salty Parmesan and bitter lemon zest for a bold but balanced finish.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced and separated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
12 ounces spaghettoni (or thick spaghetti)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta

Steps:

  • Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (an oval Dutch oven or round braiser works well here, but any large pot will do) over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add the lemon juice, 5 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the pot, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom. Put the spaghettoni in the pot and spread it out as much as you can. Bring the water to a boil and cook, stirring frequently to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is al dente, the mixture looks creamy and starchy and almost all of the water is evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan, ricotta and lemon zest until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is very creamy, about 1 minute. Divide the pasta into 4 bowls and garnish each with scallion greens and a few more cracks of black pepper.

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