We made this for our bible study, and it was a hit! It sounds and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen preparing, but in reality, it takes about 20 minutes. It is creamy, delicious, and refreshing – it screams springtime!
What you need:
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tsp fresh basil
- 16 ounces pasta
- ½ cup pasta water, more as needed\
- Chicken breast
What to do:
*Cook your pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta! Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
While the pasta is cooking, prep the sauce! In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and black pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and aromatic. Then stir in the ricotta sauce and fresh spinach and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is heated through and the spinach is wilted. Add the al dente pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up slightly and coats the noodles. If the sauce is too thick, add in a bit more pasta water as needed. Since the pasta water is salty, I like to wait to salt the ricotta sauce until after I’ve added in the pasta water and noodles. Once the noodles are coated in the sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with fresh basil and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese! Serve immediately.
We served ours with chicken breasts, but it can be served as is!