Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 350 g short pasta
- 15 g salt
Ricotta Spinach Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 garlic, minced
- 200 g fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
- 250 g whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 40 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g lemon zest, finely grated
- 1 g nutmeg, ground
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 100 ml pasta water, reserved from boiling pasta
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 510 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 74 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1688 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 37 mg
- Potassium
- 643 mg
- Calcium
- 324 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 105 mg
- Phosphorus
- 361 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 330 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 246 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.84 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.67 mg
- Niacin
- 6.8 mg
- Folate
- 309 mcg
- Water
- 134 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the short pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions, typically 8 to 10 minutes.
Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve 100ml of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta using a colander.
In a large deep skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
Add the fresh baby spinach to the skillet in handfuls. Toss continuously until the leaves are just wilted, about 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Stir in the whole milk ricotta, grated parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutmeg, and black pepper until well combined with the spinach.
Add the drained hot pasta and 50ml of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss vigorously to emulsify the cheese and water into a smooth, creamy sauce. Add the remaining pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce is too thick.
Plate the pasta immediately, garnishing with extra grated parmesan and a pinch of black pepper if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Whole milk ricotta is essential for this recipe; skim or part-skim ricotta lacks the fat content needed to create a stable, velvety sauce and will easily turn chalky.
- The residual heat of the pasta and the pan is more than enough to warm the ricotta through without breaking it.
- Starchy pasta water is the glue of Italian cooking. It transforms the thick, scoopable ricotta into a glossy sauce that clings to every noodle.
- For the best texture, grate your own parmesan cheese from a block. Pre-grated cheeses contain anti-caking agents that prevent a smooth melt.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently with a splash of water.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is dry, clumpy, or grainy
Cause: The skillet was left on the heat when adding the ricotta, causing the dairy proteins to curdle, or not enough pasta water was used.
Fix: Add another splash of hot pasta water or tap water and toss vigorously off the heat to smooth it out. If curdled from heat, it cannot be fully reversed.
Prevention: Always remove the pan from the heat source before adding dairy, and rely on starchy pasta water to thin the sauce.
Dish tastes bland or heavy
Cause: Under-seasoned pasta water or lack of acidity.
Fix: Stir in an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt directly into the finished pan.
Prevention: Ensure pasta water tastes like the sea before boiling, and use fresh lemon juice.
Cultural Context
Combining mild, fresh cheeses with leafy greens is a foundational technique in regional Italian cooking, most famously seen in ravioli fillings from Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. This deconstructed approach takes the beloved flavor profile of a stuffed pasta and applies it to an everyday dried shape, delivering the same comfort in a fraction of the time.
