pasta with ricotta, lemon and arugula

Ingredients:

½ pound short, ribbed pasta, like gemelli or penne

½ cup whole-milk ricotta (4 ounces)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan (1 ounces), plus more for serving

1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 handfuls arugula

Pinch red-pepper flakes, for serving

2 tablespoons thinly sliced or torn basil leaves, for serving

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

In the now empty warm pot add the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper and stir until well combined.

Add ¼ cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth. Add the drained pasta and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed to create a smooth sauce. Stir in the arugula until just combined.

Divide the pasta among bowls and top with any remaining sauce from the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, and basil.

Serves 2