Creamy Ricotta and Spinach Pasta: a healthy, quick and economical first course. It’s a real revelation for anyone looking for a wholesome dish without spending hours at the stove.
Ricotta and Spinach Pasta: a very simple, fast first course with a delicate taste, perfect even for children and ideal for everyday lunch or dinner.
Besides being delicious, this recipe is pantry- and wellness-friendly: economical because it requires very few basic ingredients, quick because the sauce is ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta, and healthy thanks to the iron and fiber in the spinach combined with the light proteins of ricotta.
We are used to thinking of the ricotta-and-spinach duo as the classic filling for Sunday ravioli or rustic savory pies.
But have you ever tried turning them into a quick sauce for pasta?
It’s a real revelation for anyone who wants a healthy dish without spending hours at the stove.
To make this dish worthy of a restaurant, be sure to use good-quality ricotta. Whether cow’s (milder) or sheep’s (more pronounced flavor), the freshness of the ingredient will turn your cream into an explosion of taste!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Ricotta and Spinach Pasta
- 11 oz (about 3 1/2 cups) pasta (Fusilli are perfect, but any short shape works)
- 14 oz (about 13 cups fresh) spinach spinach (You can use fresh spinach, but frozen works very well too)
- 1 cup ricotta (Fresh ricotta from the counter is ideal for superior creaminess)
- to taste Parmigiano (grated)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- nutmeg (optional)
- 1 clove garlic
- Half glass water (to add to the spinach if using frozen)
Tools
- Pot
- Pan
- Colander
Steps
Ricotta and Spinach Pasta
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil with a whole clove of garlic.
Then cook the spinach with a little water, cover and let simmer for about ten minutes or slightly longer (if using fresh spinach, just a few minutes will do).
When the spinach is cooked, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg (the latter is optional but I think it works wonderfully) and remove the garlic clove.
Meanwhile, cook the fusilli and, when the pasta is almost done, finish the sauce by adding the ricotta directly into the pan with the spinach.
Finally, drain the fusilli and toss them in the pan with the sauce, adding a ladle of pasta cooking water if necessary to make it silkier.
To make everything even more irresistible, add a generous handful of grated cheese: this is the secret that gives the dish that extra boost of flavor and makes it stringy and ultra-creamy.
If you like, keep a little aside for a final dusting directly on the plates, and enjoy your ricotta and spinach pasta piping hot!
Enjoy this family celebration moment!Bon appétit.
Tips
Don’t throw away all the cooking water: Always keep a glass of the pasta cooking water. Ricotta tends to dry out quickly; adding a bit of starchy water will give you that perfect creaminess .
I used fusilli because their spirals capture the spinach cream wonderfully, but penne rigate or shells work great too.
For pickier kids:
If your little ones don’t like visible bits of vegetables, once the spinach is cooked, blend it together with the ricotta using an immersion blender.
You’ll get a velvety “magic green pasta” they won’t be able to resist!
Crispy variation: If you want to surprise guests, add a handful of toasted pine nuts in the pan or some coarsely chopped walnuts before serving. The contrast between the softness of the ricotta and the crunch of the nuts is exceptional.
Garlic: whole or chopped?
I recommend leaving it whole and slightly crushed, so you can easily remove it after flavoring the oil. If you prefer stronger flavors, finely chop it and leave it in the sauce.
Storage
This pasta is best eaten hot, but if you have leftovers, the next day you can put it in an oven dish, add a little bechamel or mozzarella and bake it for 10 minutes: it will become a delicious casserole!
Notes & Trivia
If the ricotta is very watery, let it drain in a sieve for 10 minutes before using. This will prevent the sauce from becoming too runny on the plate.
For those on a diet, this recipe is already great! You can use a light ricotta or goat ricotta and reduce the amount of oil, using pasta water to bind the sauce.
If you want a more colorful dish, you can add a few halved cherry tomatoes together with the spinach: they will add an acidic note that balances the sweetness of the ricotta.
More recipe tips
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