Easy Spinach Ricotta Pasta Recipes

SPINACH AND RICOTTA PASTA BAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C.
• Cook the pasta and spinach in boiling, salted for 10 minutes, until JUST cooked.
• Meanwhile, open the tinned tomatoes and drain the liquid from them using a sieve.
• Add all of the other tomato sauce ingredients to the drained tomatoes and stir well.
• When the pasta and spinach are cooked, drain the majority of the water (see recipe notes).
• Add the ricotta sauce ingredients and stir thoroughly, but gently. Pour into a casserole dish.
• Top with the tomato mixture and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Pop into the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
• Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

LEMON RICOTTA PASTA & SPINACH

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, make the ricotta sauce.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season with 1/4 tsp of salt and a good pinch of pepper.
• Stir until well combined, taste and make sure you're happy with the seasoning.
• In the last minute of the pasta's cooking time, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then and add spinach to the pot. Stir well and push the leaves down to submerge them in water.
• After 1 minute, drain and return pasta and spinach to the same pot.
• Add the ricotta sauce and part of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed, you want a smooth and creamy texture.
• Serve immediately and garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges if desired (for extra freshly squeezed juice, but I leave it optional). Plus, I love adding a good pinch of red pepper flakes, you might give it a go. Enjoy!

LOW-FAT SPINACH AND RICOTTA PASTA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't brown.
• Add spinach and basil to the skillet and stir until wilted.
• Then add ricotta cheese and milk (and optional lemon juice and zest) to skillet and stir well.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup or so of the cooking water.
• Combine cooked pasta and ricotta mixture in a large bowl. If it is too thick, add a bit of the cooking water to the mixture.
• Serve immediately with some freshly ground black pepper and an optional 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese per serving.

ONE-POT SPINACH, TOMATO, AND RICOTTA PASTA

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, spinach, broth, water, and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover and cook until the broth comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
• Uncover and add the pasta. Stir pasta until it softens and is submerged in the liquid. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in ricotta cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir and allow ricotta cheese to heat through. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.