Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Time :20

Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

Did a late work meeting, soccer practice, or a stuck-in-traffic situation interfere with your culinary creation time? Well, then it's Lemon Ricotta Pasta to the rescue. The 4-1-1 on this 9-1-1 weeknight meal-saver is simple... al dente spaghetti in a creamy parmesan and ricotta sauce with a hint of lemon... it's the meal you've been searching for when your time and/or your fuse is short. Reclaim your evening with this easy, breezy Lemon Ricotta Pasta and your little minions will be lining up for more. They may even help clean off the table. Can this night get any better?

Ingredients

For the pasta:

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more, to taste
12 ounces bucatini or spaghetti
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
fresh ground black pepper to taste
zest of 1 lemon

For topping:

parsley to taste, chopped
parmesan cheese to taste, grated
lemon zest to taste
red pepper flakes optional, to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, testing a few minutes before the cooking time indicated on the package instructions.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water, then drain the pasta.
In a saucepan, mix the ricotta, the olive oil, the parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, the lemon zest, and 1/4 cup of the pasta water together.
Warm the ricotta mixture over medium heat and stir until a creamy sauce forms, about 1 minute.
Pour the sauce onto the pasta and stir to combine.
If needed, add more of the pasta water to help the sauce coat the pasta.
Garnish the pasta with the parsley, the parmesan cheese, the lemon zest, and the red pepper flakes.
Serve.