Lemon Ricotta Pasta - Tasty Khubz

Bright and creamy spaghetti with lemon zest, ricotta, and Parmesan. A simple, elegant Italian main ready in under 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti

02 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water

→ Ricotta-Lemon Sauce

03 - 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

04 - 1 large lemon, zested and juiced

05 - 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

07 - 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

09 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped

11 - Extra lemon zest

12 - Freshly ground black pepper

# How to Cook:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

02 - While the pasta cooks, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and salt until smooth and creamy.

03 - Add the hot drained spaghetti to the bowl with the ricotta-lemon sauce. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta luxuriously.

04 - Divide among bowls. Top with extra Parmesan, fresh basil or parsley, more lemon zest, and a grind of black pepper.

05 - Serve immediately while the pasta is hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen.
The lemon cuts through the richness in a way that makes you want another bite every single time.
You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your fridge right now.

02 -

Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it's the magic ingredient that turns ricotta into a silky sauce instead of a grainy mess.
Add the pasta to the sauce while it's still hot, cold pasta won't absorb the ricotta the same way and you'll end up with clumps.

03 -