Italian 30 min

Baked Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Name: Baked Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 12 oz rigatoni or penne; 15 oz whole milk ricotta; Zest of 2 lemons; ½ cup fresh lemon juice; 4 cloves garlic, minced; ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 cups fresh baby spinach; Salt and black pepper to taste; 1 cup pasta water

vegetariancomfort-foodhealthy

Ingredientsfor 2

490

Cal

20g

Protein

66g

Carbs

16g

Fat

112 oz rigatoni or penne
215 oz whole milk ricotta
3Zest of 2 lemons
4½ cup fresh lemon juice
54 cloves garlic, minced
6½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
72 tablespoons olive oil
81 teaspoon red pepper flakes
92 cups fresh baby spinach
10Salt and black pepper to taste
111 cup pasta water

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Instructions

1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta until al dente, reserving 1.5 cups pasta water. Mix ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2
Add hot drained pasta to the ricotta mixture along with 1 cup of pasta water. Stir vigorously — the hot pasta water loosens the ricotta into a creamy sauce that coats every piece of pasta. Fold in fresh spinach and let it wilt from the heat.
3
Transfer to a baking dish and top with additional Parmesan. Bake at 400°F for 15–18 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling.
4
Let rest 5 minutes before serving. The pasta should be creamy and tangy from the lemon, with crispy Parmesan on top. Add more fresh lemon zest right before serving for brightness.