Remember only a few months ago when Texas was freezing because the power grid was failing? Yeah? Okay, now imagine that, but it’s too hot for the power grid (only halfway through June) and we are being asked to set our thermostats at 78 during the day and 82 at night. Texas truly is the wild west.
So to get some relief from the heat, I headed to my favorite place – the grocery store. I also needed to get more produce because all I care to do is graze throughout the day when it’s this hot. So as I parked, like any true millennial, I scrolled Instagram and came across an ad for lemon ricotta pasta by New York Times cooking. I glanced at the recipe, made a mental note of what I needed, and off I went. I posted this on stories and made sure everyone was still eating their feelings, and since they were, I typed up this recipe after a few glasses of wine (edited it today) and putting it here for future evenings of eating my feelings.
This pasta is creamy but light and it’s enjoyable both hot and cold, and makes enough for four adults.
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium shell pasta
Kosher salt
8oz whole milk ricotta
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2oz cream cheese
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
Red pepper flakes
Basil, julienned (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil and add enough salt to make it salty like the sea, maybe 4-6 tablespoons. Once boiling, add in pasta and cook according to packaging for al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.
In the same pot, add in the 8oz ricotta, 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, 2oz cream cheese, the zest of two lemons, the juice of one lemon, 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of the pasta water and stir until smooth. Add in the pasta and stir, adding in additional pasta water as needed until desired consistency is achieved.
To serve, scoop into a bowl and top with red pepper flakes and basil.
