Italian
Lemon-Ricotta Pasta
Silky ricotta coats hot pasta with fragrant lemon, Parmesan, fresh basil, and the bite of cracked black pepper.
4 servings · 5 minutes prep · 15 minutes cook
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 oz, or linguine
- 1 cup
- 1/2 cup, finely grated, plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp, finely grated from the yellow peel only
- 2 tbsp, freshly squeezed, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp, freshly ground, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp, Diamond Crystal, plus more for the pasta water, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup, loosely packed and torn, or use chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 cups, reserved immediately before draining; use as needed
Directions
Make the Ricotta Base
- In a large heatproof bowl, whisk whole milk ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and kosher salt until smooth and evenly blended.
Cook and Finish the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to the package timing. Immediately before draining, reserve pasta water.
- Drain the pasta and immediately transfer it, still steaming, to the ricotta mixture. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and toss vigorously off the heat until the sauce turns silky and coats the strands, adding more pasta water 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time as needed.
- Fold in basil leaves. Taste and adjust the salt, lemon, or pepper only as needed, then serve immediately with additional finely grated Parmesan.
