One Pot Lemon & Ricotta Pasta

This One Pot Lemon & Ricotta Pasta is bright, creamy, and full of great texture and flavor. It's an easy weeknight dinner that will feed the whole family. Pretty awesome, right?

Our ancient ancestors spent so much time toiling for their survival. Hunter gatherer peoples were constantly on the move, just searching for enough food to get them through the day. And even when agriculture was established and some basic technologies in common use, most of them still spent much of their time processing crops, keeping up their dwellings, and making everything they owned from scratch. Can you imagine if you wanted a new dress, but you had to start by raising the sheep?

And yet, somehow they still found time for art, music, and storytelling. They took pride in their work and created things simply because they brought them joy. They loved, they laughed, they fought, they cried, just like we do today. I always feel a deep sense of gratitude when I look back and consider what my ancestors, both recent and ancient, had to endure in order for me to be here today. And when I'm eating imported fruit and hydroponic herbs in the dead of winter, I know how blessed I am.

What makes this Lemon & Ricotta Pasta so awesome?

This is a recipe for the modern kitchen witch, for sure. I think my ancestors would be blown away by corn, lemon, and basil available year 'round, and I'm certainly grateful for it because I needed these bright flavors in the dead of winter. This pasta tastes like summer. The sauce is made quite simply from ricotta cheese, melted brie, and the starchy pasta water. It's just the right consistency to coat the pasta without drowning it. It has sweet pops of sauteed corn running throughout and a bright, tangy hit of lemon juice. The fresh basil brings a verdant green flavor as well.

This is one of those pasta dishes that just seems to expand as you build it. It's so filling, so it can easily feed a family of four to six people. If you wanted to add some protein, you could grill and slice some chicken to add to the bowl. If you want to keep it meatless, I assure you, it's a meal unto itself.

Magical Properties of Lemon

I find lemons to be powerfully magical. For me, they instantly bring brightness, cleansing, and a burst of energy. Ironically, they're tied to the moon and the element of water, but unsurprisingly, they also correspond with the solar plexus chakra. Lemons can also be used for protection. For example, you can pierce a lemon with nine nails, wind red thread around them, tie off the thread, and place this charm above your door to ward off the evil eye.

For further details on the magical properties of lemons, as well as the other ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe.

• Short cut pasta - I like something with some texture that will hold onto the sauce, like spirals or shells.
• Butter - salted is fine, whatever you have
• Frozen corn kernels
• Thyme - dried or fresh
• Garlic - chopped or garlic paste
• Salt and pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Ricotta cheese
• Brie - you'll want to remove the rind for this
• White wine - something Italian would be nice
• Basil - fresh is best
• Lemon - you'll need the zest and the juice

Tips for making this Lemon & Ricotta Pasta

To cut back on the washing up, you'll cook your pasta first, then make the quick sauce in the same pot as you cooked the pasta in. Just leave your drained pasta in the collander. It all comes together pretty quickly, especially if you prep all the ingredients while the pasta is cooking and have them ready to go into the pot. Oh, and don't forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before you drain it. I set a mug in the collander so I don't forget.

So back in the pasta pot, we'll sautee our corn in butter, along with garlic, seasoning, and spices. Once the corn is ready, we'll make our sauce by stirring in that pasta water, some wine, and both the cheeses. It's going to look like a mess at first, but as the cheese melts, it will all come together. Just give it a good stir.

Then you'll stir your pasta back through the sauce, making sure it's all well coated. To finish it off, you'll stir in chopped basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Zest your lemon right over the pot so that the essential oils fall over your food and not your counter. Taste for seasoning, and don't skimp on the salt.

This One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta will brighten up even the darkest day. And since it's easy enough to make on a weeknight, it just might turn your whole day around. It's that awesome.

Looking for more awesome pasta recipes? Try this Chicken & Goat Cheese Pasta or some Sun-Dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta.

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Recipe slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest.