Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Enjoy this creamy lemon ricotta pasta topped with crunchy walnut breadcrumbs for the perfect blend of zesty, creamy, and nutty flavors!
Servings: 5 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta
- ½ lb pasta, 8 oz
- ½ lb asparagus, about 2 heaping cups
- Lemon zest, 1 medium lemon + 1 tablespoon juice of unwaxed lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Walnut topping:
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the walnut breadcrumbs. Pulse the walnuts in the food processor until crumbly, taking care not to get them pasty-you don't want walnut butter! If you want larger pieces, you can hand-chop them. At low to medium-low heat, toast the walnuts in a pan, being careful not to burn them. I toast them for about 4 minutes, then add the sea salt, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs cook quickly, so keep stirring well and turn off the heat once you start to see them turn a light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Cook pasta and asparagus. Cook the pasta according to the instructions (salt the pasta water generously!). In the last 3-4 minutes of the pasta cooking time, add the cut asparagus (I like to set a timer for the perfect pasta). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Place the pasta back in the pot.
- Make the lemon ricotta pasta sauce. While the pasta is cooking, add ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper, and sea salt to a small bowl and set aside. Once the pasta is done cooking, add ½ cup of pasta water and mix into the drained pasta.
- Serve. Sprinkle the walnut topping on your pasta dish and enjoy! You can add basil leaves or a drizzle of garlic chili oil on top.
Notes
The walnut breadcrumbs will make a large batch for future use. If you'd like a smaller batch, cut the recipe in half.
Nutritional Information was calculated without walnut topping.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 564IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 2mg
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