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Home » Recipes » 30 Minutes or Less

July 7, 2024 · Leave a Comment

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

30 Minutes or Less· Pasta Recipes

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lemon ricotta pasta with italian sausage
collage photo of lemon ricotta pasta with sausage

Orecchiette pasta combined with ground sweet Italian sausage and fresh spinach in a creamy lemon ricotta sauce. 

orecchiette pasta in a skillet with sausage

I love when two recipes come together to create an even better recipe; like this Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Sausage.

There are recipes I make all the time, but have yet to share on the blog. One of them is pasta with garlic, spinach and sausage. 

It's super easy to make, so easy that I never thought to share it. However, when I recently saw a recipe using ricotta as a sauce, I thought it would make a tasty new recipe by combining the two. 

Boy was I right! This pasta was amazing, the sauce super creamy and the flavors were delicately mild. Perfect for a quick, tasty weeknight meal. ~Enjoy!

Suggested Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Colander
  • Large Skillet
  • Pasta Serving Bowl
  • Pasta Serving Spoon

a close up of lemon ricotta pasta in a skillet

Ingredients Needed

To make this recipe you're going to need the following ingredients: 

Pasta: You can use any pasta shape in this recipe, but we enjoyed orecchiette.

Ground Sweet Italian Sausage: If you like a little heat, you can use hot sausage or even sliced cooked links of sausage as a substitute. 

Garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Baby Spinach

Ricotta Cheese

Lemon (zest and juice)

Chopped Fresh Basil

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

lemon ricotta pasta with sausage in a skillet

How do you make Lemon Ricotta Pasta?

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil; then cook your pasta until it's al dente. Depending on the shape, whether it's fresh, dried or frozen, cooking times may vary. 

When the pasta is done, strain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; then brown the sausage until no longer pink. Next, add the spinach and garlic and cook until the spinach has wilted. 

Add the ricotta, lemon juice and zest, basil, grated cheese, salt and pepper and mix well. Finally, add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat. If it's a bit thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to help thin it out a bit. 

Transfer the lemon ricotta pasta into a serving bowl, serve with Mediterranean Arugula Salad, warm Italian bread and Italian-Style Red Wine Sangria. 

VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.

lemon ricotta pasta with italian sausage

More Lemon Pasta Recipes

  • Gluten Free Lemon Chicken Spinach Pasta
  • Skillet Lemon Garlic Orzo Chicken
  • Chicken Francaise Lasagna
  • Skillet Leftover Turkey Piccata Pasta
  • Penne with Grilled Chicken and Vegetables in a Lemon Butter White Wine Sauce

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a close up of lemon ricotta pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Orecchiette pasta combined with ground sweet Italian sausage and fresh spinach in a creamy lemon ricotta sauce. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Colander
  • large skillet
  • pasta serving bowl
  • pasta serving spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound orecchiette pasta (or your favorite shape)
  • 1 pound ground italian sweet sausage
  • 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 large lemon (zest and juice; approx. 2 tablespoons of juice)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper (or red pepper flakes)

Instructions
 

  • Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil; then cook your pasta until it's al dente. When the pasta is done, strain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; then brown the sausage until no longer pink.
  • Next, add the spinach and garlic and cook until the spinach has wilted.
  • Add the ricotta, lemon juice and zest, basil, grated cheese, salt and pepper and mix well.
  • Finally, add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat. (If it's a bit thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to help thin it out a bit.)
  • Transfer the lemon ricotta pasta into a serving bowl and serve family style.

Notes

*Please read the entire post for additional instructions, tips and/or substitutions.

Nutrition

Calories: 714kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 31gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 891mgPotassium: 663mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3.913IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 262mgIron: 3mg
Keyword pasta
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