Elena Davis is a true Italian cook with true Italian flair! Her website is one to bookmark come dinner time. You can check out all of her recipes at cucinabyelena.com.
Lemon ricotta pasta is going to be a new family favorite.
A lemon ricotta pasta sings of spring! With pockets of gooey ricotta and a fresh pop of zesty lemon, it’s a simple but oh-so spring pasta. This pasta is a fancy restaurant-worthy dish, that comes together in just 20 minutes.
Elena Davis shared her recipe for lemon ricotta pasta. Elena says it’s important to use high-quality whole-milk ricotta cheese. Wait until the end to add the ricotta in, so each pasta plate gets a pocket of ooey gooey cheese.
For the freshest taste, Elena said to use freshly grated parmigiano and lemon zest. Use a microplane tool for the best results!
Find all of Elena’s notes for this recipe here.
Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Asparagus
“This EASY, 20 minute, lemon, ricotta pasta with asparagus is simple, fresh, and tastes like spring! The creamy cheese and pop of lemon is just what my heart desires this time of year. The best part? You only need one pot to make it!” – Elena Davis
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
- 1 pound asparagus (cut into pieces and stems removed)
- 1 pound campanelle or farfalle pasta (or other desired pasta)
- 1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) finely grated parmigiano (parmesan cheese)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
- 8 leaves of fresh mint and (torn with hands to prevent them from getting brown- metal knives are harsh on fresh leaves)
- 8 leaves of fresh basil (torn with hands to prevent them from getting brown)
- **If you using dried herbs use 1 tablespoon of each since herbs are more potent when dried
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- Salt for pasta water
METHOD
- Mix parmigiano cheese with zest of one lemon in a small bowl- set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add garlic to boiling water. Let boil 3 minutes. Add the cut asparagus to the boiling water and garlic. Add the pasta to the boiling water, garlic, and asparagus. Cook pasta according to package instructions- al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before straining.
- Strain the pasta, garlic and asparagus.
- Quickly add them back to the empty pot with 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, grated parmigiano and lemon zest mixture, olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook on medium heat for one minute (not more!), tossing constantly. Add a splash more cooking water if pasta looks too dry.
- Turn heat off, dollop ricotta all over in large spoonfuls and, without stirring, tip pasta mixture into a wide serving bowl.
- Drizzle pasta with a small amount of olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, then squeeze lemon juice over the whole dish, sprinkle with mint and basil and finish with an extra sprinkling of parmigiano. Gently toss right before serving.
Find more from Elena on Instagram, @cucinabyelena, or on her website, cucinabyelena.com.
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