If you like this easy pasta recipe, you will also enjoy my Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken. My son is a huge fan of spinach ricotta tortellini. So whenever I am short on time to cook dinner, I often pick up a package. This recipe for spinach ricotta pasta with lemon butter chicken came out of that deep love of his. I wanted to create a homemade recipe that is easy and equally delicious because let’s face it, I am not making homemade tortellini on a regular basis! Spinach ricotta combination is absolutely classic. It has a mild and creamy taste making creamy ricotta pasta popular with many. It is also quite lean as fresh ricotta is relatively low in calories but high in protein and spinach is a nutritional powerhouse.
Spinach Ricotta Sauce
This creamy sauce comes together with minimal effort and what is even better it tastes creamy but doesn’t have all the calories that come with heavy cream. I’ve added a healthy portion of garlic, some lemon juice, chopped mint and fresh basil to give this mild sauce a slightly more complex flavour.
Recipe Steps
How to make lemon butter chicken
Once again this is the simplest recipe I could come up with. Adding chicken to this creamy lemon ricotta sauce is not at all necessary but highly recommended. You can serve this lemon ricotta pasta recipe vegetarian style or you can add this flavoured chicken breast cooked in garlicky lemon butter sauce. So good for weeknight dinners!
Tips for pan frying a chicken breast
Sear seasoned chicken breasts on high to get a beautiful golden colour. Turn the heat down, add garlic, butter and lemon juice and continue cooking on low for a juicy interior for approximately 10 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over once and baste them with the juices a couple of times for maximum flavour. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and keep warm until needed.
Serving suggestions
I would suggest serving this pasta dinner in the traditional Italian method of mixing the sauce and pasta together before bringing to the table. This helps the sauce to fully coat the pasta and for the pasta to absorb the flavours of the sauce. To finish up this spinach ricotta pasta, top with sliced lemon butter chicken breasts. Sprinkle with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This lemon butter chicken is absolutely delicious on top of spinach ricotta pasta or on its own. You can use this chicken recipe with so many different sides or as a tasty add-on to your salads. A creamy pasta like this one can be balanced out perfectly with a fresh salad. I would suggest Caprese Salad made with fresh tomatoes or any made with leafy greens as wonderfully Italian side dishes! And perhaps a few pieces of garlic bread for soaking up any sauce stuck to your plate!
Storage and leftovers
Pasta dishes are never quite the same the next day, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be enjoyable! It will keep in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge and is best warmed up in the microwave. I would never recommend freezing cooked pasta. It will become far too soggy when reheated, so best to keep this one out of the freezer!
More ricotta recipes
Whipped Feta and Ricotta Dip Lemon Ricotta Cake with Blackberry Glaze Almond Crepe Cake with Orange Ricotta Cream Ricotta and Grana Padano Fritters with Tomato Basil Salsa
