Made with pantry and kitchen staples, this spinach ricotta pasta recipe is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Not only does the use of ricotta cheese allow for a rich and creamy texture, but it helps to add a much-needed boost of protein and the inclusion of spinach helps to add a boost of fiber at the same time.
Although pasta gets a bit of bad rap, pasta is healthy and can certainly be included in a healthy diet. This spinach and ricotta pasta specifically calls for spaghetti, however, you can certainly use any type of noodle you enjoy or have on hand: spaghettini, fettuccine or tagliatelle would all work particularly well. You can also use whole wheat pasta to add more fiber to the dish.
More Healthy Pasta Recipes:
- Tomato, Spinach and Bacon Pasta
- No-Boil Pasta Bake
- Pea and Pesto Pasta
- Green Goddess Pasta
- Creamy Pea and Bacon Pasta
- Creamy Zucchini Pasta
Spinach Ricotta Pasta
Made with ricotta cheese and fresh spinach, this spinach ricotta pasta is full of fibre and protein while being quick and easy to make.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes -
Cook Time: 10 minutes
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Total Time: 15 minutes
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Yield: 2 servings
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Category: Main
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 grams) spaghetti, dry
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot or small onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 pinch chili flakes (optional)
- 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Once cooked, drain pasta, reserve a 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
- In a large pan on medium heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Once warm, add the shallot and garlic clove and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Add spinach, a splash of pasta water, and stir to combine with the onion and garlic mixture until spinach is wilted.
- Add ricotta cheese, chili flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and stir to combine with the vegetable mixture. Add additional pasta water until a generally smooth consistency is reached.
- Add cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss to coat in the spinach ricotta mixture, adding some of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce as needed.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
This has been in regular rotation at my house!
Huge success in my house! Easy to make and great as leftovers.
Super easy and tasty. I added more spinach than recipe called for because I like lots of greens. Everyone loved it.
Simple, elegant and tasty! Very much enjoyed. Thank you.
Great recipe! PS – Use full-fat ricotta cheese, low-fat isn’t as creamy. 😉
This has been added into my families regular rotation! Delicious! My daughter hates green veggies but loves this.
Really enjoyed this. I have only made it once so far but will definitely make it again.
Excellent. Easy and fast. Had all the ingredients!!! Thank you for sharing
I’m so happy you liked it, thank you for sharing!
This is a favourite of ours- and SO easy to whip up! Thank you ☺️
Loved this recipe. I topped it with toasted pine nuts.
I’m so happy you liked it and love the addition of the pine nuts! Thank you for sharing.
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SO GOOD! A snap to make. Healthy and delicious
This was such a hit for my family! I was looking for a new white-sauce pasta for my kids and they absolutely loved this – and it so quick and easy to make! I served it with bbq chicken and sausage 👌
Yay, so happy they liked it! Thanks for sharing, Adrienne. 🙂
Can you swap the ricotta with cottage cheese?
I’ve not tried it, but I suppose it could work. That said, it would change the taste and texture significantly.