Serves 3.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb bucatini pasta (you can use spaghetti if you prefer)
- 6 oz diced pancetta (you can substitute with diced thick-cut bacon)
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 8 oz fresh spinach
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon, juice & zest
- 3 lemon wedges
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
- salt & pepper to taste
Cook pancetta on medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt & a big pinch of pepper. Stir until well combined.
As soon as the pasta is finished cooking, transfer it to the ricotta mixture. (It's ok if the pasta is still slightly wet..this will thin out the ricotta sauce.
Add the spinach to the hot pasta water immediately and let it wilt. As soon as it is soft, add it to the pasta and ricotta mixture. Stir to combine. Add more reserved pasta water to the mixture if it is still too thick.
Serve immediately and garnish with the pancetta and more parmesan cheese!