LEMON SPINACH RICOTTA PASTA

like pesto, but also not at all.... a super simple recipe for a vibrant, bright, green-packed pasta sauce

The other day, which happened to be valentines day, I had this intense craving for pasta (capellini specifically) with just butter and parm. A very un-sophisticated, but very distinct taste memory from my childhood that continues to sneak up on my cravings as an adult. So in lieu of going out to a fancy dinner, or cooking something more elaborate… I threw together that exact pasta which took about 7 minutes to make, leaving plenty of extra time to play a few rounds of backgammon.

The pasta came together by boiling the capellini, while melting the butter in an adjacent pan where the cooked pasta would get transferred to, along with a heap of parm and a generous amount of black pepper. A splash or two of pasta water and a couple of tosses to coat the strands and, it’s done. As we sat on the couch and devoured our bowls of this ultimate simple pleasure, I got to thinking of all of the other simple meals that I love to make myself that I don’t often share for dinner parties, events, or recipes, but that are some of the greatest joys in my kitchen.

Since then, I have been brainstorming about simple pasta recipes specifically. And even about how to simplify some of the more complicated pasta recipes so that they offer a very high level of satisfaction with very low effort, and therefore extra free time for backgammon or whatever other nighttime activities you like to indulge in.

Red sauces and white butter cream sauces were obviously top of mind, but then I also began to consider something green, bright, vibrant, and packed with a veggie for those times when you want to feel like you’re doing yourself some good. So, I sautéed an entire box of spinach and added it to a food processor with the juice of 1 whole lemon, 1 clove of garlic, a few pieces of basil, and a little bit of parm and ricotta. The result was exactly what I was daydreaming about. Addictingly bright, light, and flavorful. Almost like pesto, but also not at all. My new favorite sauce, for sure.

LEMON SPINACH RICOTTA PASTA 

You could definitely substitute kale or other greens for the spinach here, or use a mix of different greens. The pasta choice is up to you, but I would highly recommend a short, tube shaped pasta. A shape that is good at holding onto the sauce. You can easily double this recipe for more servings, or if you like a saucier pasta.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

180g of spinach (1 whole bag or box of spinach)
the juice of 1 lemon
8 basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
1 clove of garlic, smashed and peeled 
¼ cup of parmesan
¼ cup of ricotta
½ teaspoon of salt
freshly cracked black pepper
extra virgin olive oil 

pasta of your choice (1/2 a box or bag)

topping suggestions: lemon zest, more parm, more black pepper, torn basil leaves

METHOD 

COOK the spinach:
Either steam the spinach until wilted, or saute in a pot with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat until wilted. 

BLEND to make the sauce:
Add the cooked spinach to a food processor or blender, and pulse until you have a puree. Then add the lemon juice, basil leaves, garlic, parm, ricotta, and season with salt and pepper and process until you have a super smooth sauce. Add in a tablespoon or two of olive oil while the food processor is running to help thin out the texture a bit. Taste and adjust any seasoning if necessary.

BOIL the pasta, until just al-dente, according to the instructions for the paste shape you´re using. When, the pasta is done, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and discard the rest. Pour the green sauce over the pasta along with a cup of the pasta water and toss until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce. Add more pasta water if needed to help the sauce along. 

SERVE
Transer to individual serving bowls, and top with more pepper, some lemon zest, more parm, and some torn basil leaves. 

This pasta holds up extremely well, and makes excellent leftovers. Store for a couple of days in an air-tight container in the fridge.