This really yummy pasta dish is our impromptu lunch today. We just got home from my son’s school for his enrollment. I didn’t feel like going to the mall after for lunch because I just paid an arm and a leg for tuition fees and other school stuff and I felt like I was robbed although I charged it to my card which somehow made it less painful.
I’ll probably feel this way again and worse for sure when my credit card bill comes ;P so I told my kids we’ll just have lunch at home. There were whines and protests but I told them we’re gonna have pasta and that sealed the deal…(nah, they don’t have any choice, really. I’m the boss of them ;P )
But they do love my pasta dishes and I love making it because it’s easy to cook, I always have the staple ingredients on hand; I can have it ready in a few minutes and even without any meat it is okay for us as long as there is cheese 🙂
So when we got home, I checked my supplies and how perfect that I have a small tub of ricotta which I was saving for another recipe really but, this is an emergency. LOL. I know just the recipe for me to try today and I can almost taste it. I saw this delicious-looking pasta on my FB feed from Delicious Magazine.
The recipe has fennel which I didn’t have, so I just used what’s in my fridge- french beans. I like that it doesn’t really have any taste but it adds a nice bite to this pasta dish. You may omit the chillis if you can’t take the heat. I would like to add more next time because I like my food hot and spicy. 🙂
Soft cream cheese or natural cheese can be used if you don’t have ricotta cheese. Cream cheese is more budget-friendly, I think I’ll be using it next time, for me, there’s not much difference in taste anyway.
I used the juice of half a lemon only because we don’t like it too tart. You may want to add more or less depending on your taste. Always, always taste what you’re cooking and be guided accordingly.
The recipe is just a guide especially for this kind of dish..you know that already, right?
Baking is another thing though — please follow the recipe exactly 🙂
Happy Cooking!
Lemon Ricotta Spaghetti with Chilli and French Beans
Ingredients
- 8 oz Spaghetti
- Olive Oil extra virgin
- 2 Red Chili Pepper sliced thinly
- Garlic minced
- 1 pc Lemon zest
- ½ pc Lemon Juice
- ⅓ cup Ricotta Cheese or cream cheese
Instructions
- Set a pot of water to boil, season with salt and cook pasta in it for about 10 minutes or until al dente.
- Meanwhile heat olive oil in a pan, saute garlic, chills and french beans.
- Turn off heat and add lemon zest and juice (you may add the juice of whole lemon or add some more if you like but my kids doesn't like, ½ lemon is perfect for us)
- When pasta is cooked, reserve about a cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and the ricotta to the pan, add about half a cup of pasta water.
- Toss together so the ricotta and water emulsify into a sauce.
- Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil, toss and serve immediately... well, take a few photos first, then serve while still hot. 🙂
- You may sprinkle with grated parmesan if you have some. Enjoy!