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A bowl of lemon ricotta pasta has the kind of softness I want from a small lunch at home. There is no complicated sauce to watch, just ricotta loosened with warm pasta water, a little lemon and enough black pepper to keep it interesting.
This is a two-serving starting recipe, with about ten minutes of preparation and the cooking time printed on your pasta packet. I like the lemon to brighten the bowl rather than take over. Adding the juice gradually gives you a chance to find that balance.
Gather a short ingredient list
- 180 g dried spaghetti or another pasta you enjoy
- 150 g plain ricotta
- One small unwaxed lemon, washed
- One tablespoon olive oil
- Two tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, optional
- A few basil leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- About 150 ml reserved pasta cooking water
Ricotta varies in thickness, which is why the water amount is a guide rather than a target. A firm tub may need more loosening than a softer one. For a vegetarian version, choose a hard cheese labeled suitable for vegetarians, or simply leave that extra cheese out.
Make the sauce while the pasta cooks
Bring a pan of water to the boil, salt it to your preference and cook the pasta according to its packet. Before draining, carefully reserve a mug of cooking water. That little mug makes the sauce much easier to adjust.
Meanwhile, stir the ricotta, olive oil and finely grated zest of half the lemon together in a large bowl. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and a little black pepper. Stir in two tablespoons of the warm cooking water until the ricotta looks creamy rather than stiff.
Toss gently, away from direct heat
Add the drained hot pasta to the ricotta bowl and toss with tongs. Loosen it with more cooking water, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce lightly coats the strands. I would stop before it becomes soupy, although a small puddle underneath is hardly a disaster.
Taste a strand before adding more lemon or salt. Stir in the optional cheese, then tear the basil over the top. The ricotta sauce does not need to be boiled in a frying pan. Mixing it in the bowl keeps the process wonderfully quiet.
Bring it straight to the table
Divide between two bowls while warm. More pepper, a little extra zest or a few leaves alongside are nice if you fancy them. Some ricotta will look gently grainy even when the sauce is properly loosened. That is part of its texture, not something you need to whisk away.
For another small-lunch mood, there is my coffee-morning cardigan outfit, which feels equally happy around a kitchen table. And if you are heading out afterward, the camel-coat outfit keeps the rest of the day simple. A comfortable lunch does not have to become an afternoon production.
