Lemony Ricotta Spaghetti with Courgettes
- Savory
- Quick
- Italian
- Light
- Stovetop
- Oven
A light, creamy pasta where ricotta and starchy cooking water melt into a silky sauce, lifted with lemon zest and fresh mint.
- Total
- 18 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 13
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Cooking al dente · Emulsifying
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tsp salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes, then reserve 150 ml of the starchy cooking water and drain.
~9 min
Salting the water seasons the pasta from within; reserving the starchy water later helps emulsify the ricotta into a smooth sauce.
Reserve the cooking water before draining: its starch is what turns ricotta into a glossy sauce rather than a grainy paste.
Cooking al dente Bite a strand a minute before the package time; it should be tender with a firm centre, not chalky or mushy.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the spaghetti cooks, slice the courgettes into thin 3 mm rounds and finely grate the lemon zest. Pick the mint leaves and roughly chop them.
~4 min
-
While step 1 cooks
While the spaghetti cooks, warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the courgette rounds in a single layer and fry until golden at the edges and just tender, about 5 minutes, then add the 2 crushed garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
~5 min
A single layer and medium-high heat let the courgettes brown rather than steam, while adding garlic last prevents it from burning and turning bitter.
Keep the heat moderate when frying the courgettes so they turn golden before going soft, which keeps the dish light.
-
In a mixing bowl, whisk the ricotta with the grated lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, half the chopped mint, 0.25 tsp black pepper and 100 ml of the reserved cooking water until smooth and creamy.
~2 min
Whisking the ricotta with warm starchy water and lemon juice loosens its proteins into a glossy emulsion instead of a grainy paste.
Emulsifying Whisk the ricotta with warm starchy water gradually until glossy; adding liquid too fast can make it grainy.
-
Add the drained spaghetti and courgettes to the ricotta bowl and toss well, loosening with the remaining 50 ml cooking water until the sauce coats every strand. Season with salt to taste.
~2 min
Tossing off the heat keeps the ricotta from curdling, and the remaining starchy water adjusts the sauce to cling to every strand.
Emulsifying Whisk the ricotta with warm starchy water gradually until glossy; adding liquid too fast can make it grainy.
-
Divide between two warm bowls, scatter over the remaining mint and finish with a last squeeze of lemon juice.
~1 min
