Upgrade your standard pasta dish with Lemon Ricotta Pasta; rigatoni tossed in a zesty, creamy sauce with sautéed Brussels sprouts.
Ingredients
1-2lbsBrussels sprouts, cut into quarters
4clovesGarlic, diced
1lbRigatoni pasta
1cupRicotta
1tspRed pepper flakes
¼tspDried rosemary
¼tspDried thyme
1tspDried parsley
1tbspsOlive oil, (additional tbsp for cooking brussels sprouts)
3/4cupParmesan
2Lemons, zested and juiced
4tbspsSalted butter
Instructions
Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly browned. Add half of the diced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain pasta.
While pasta is boiling, combine ricotta, remaining diced garlic, red pepper, rosemary, thyme, parsley, olive oil, parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix together and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add drained pasta to a large bowl and toss with butter. Once butter is melted, add ricotta mixture and continue to mix together. If you'd like to have a looser sauce, add pasta water, 2-3 tbsps at a time and mix together until desired consistency is reached. Add brussels sprouts and serve.
Notes
For an even healthier dish, use whole-grain pasta. It's full of natural fiber and you'll feel full sooner.
Do not overcook the pasta because it strips away the nutrients and results in mushy noodles.
Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it to help thicken the sauce.
This is best served fresh or the ricotta will harden.