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NST kitchen · dinner

Lemon ricotta and spinach pasta

A soft ricotta sauce, lemon zest and wilted spinach wrapped around hot pasta, finished with a little hard cheese.

  • vegetarian
Prep (est.)
10 min
Cook (est.)
15 min
Total (est.)
25 min
Base servings
2
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Serving illustration of lemon ricotta fusilli with wilted spinach, fine lemon zest and black pepper in a green-rimmed bowl.
Serving illustration, not a photograph.Serving illustration, not a photographed cooking result. Portions and appearance are illustrative; actual results may vary.Original NST visual

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Ingredients

Original recipe: 2

One fixed batch makes 2 servings. Keep the listed quantities, pan and method unchanged. For more, repeat the full batch; for fewer, follow the recipe's storage guidance for unused portions.

Ingredients for 2 servings.

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You will need

  • Large saucepan, colander and hob
  • Large frying pan and heatproof spoon
  • Grater, knife, clean board, scales and heatproof measuring jug

Let's make it

The method

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0 of 4 steps marked

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  1. Step 1. Cook the pasta

    Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook fusilli following the packet instructions until tender. Shortly before draining, carefully scoop 150 ml cooking water into the heatproof jug, keeping clear of steam. Drain the pasta.

  2. Step 2. Wilt the spinach

    While pasta cooks, warm oil in the frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir garlic for about 30–60 seconds without browning. Add spinach in handfuls and stir for 2–3 minutes until wilted. Let excessive spinach liquid evaporate briefly without drying the pan completely.

  3. Step 3. Make the ricotta sauce

    Turn the pan to low. Add ricotta, lemon zest and about 50 ml of the reserved hot pasta water. Stir gently until loosened and hot throughout, without vigorously boiling the ricotta. Add the drained hot pasta and all the grated hard cheese.

  4. Step 4. Finish and serve

    Toss over low heat, adding more reserved water a spoonful at a time only until the sauce coats the pasta. It may not all be needed. Remove from the heat, stir in lemon juice and optional pepper, divide into two bowls and serve promptly.

Make it work for you

Swaps & variations

  • Use penne instead of fusilli in the same dry weight and follow its packet timing.
  • Use 150 g finely shredded fresh spring greens instead of spinach, cooking them until tender before adding ricotta; they need longer than spinach.

Recipe notes & sources

Sources support the points stated below; they are not evidence that NST has cooked or tested this recipe.

  • FSA cooking guidance

    Cooking endpoints, clean temperature probes and once-only reheating; not validation of these recipes, estimated times or flavours.

    Checked 2026-10-23
  • FSA chilling and defrosting guidance

    Prompt cooling, chilled leftovers and label-led storage; no shelf-life experiment has been conducted by NST.

    Checked 2026-10-23
  • FSA allergen advice for consumers

    Ingredient and precautionary-label checks, including the distinction between vegan and allergen-free; no product certified.

    Checked 2026-10-23

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