Creamy Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream  or half-and-half  

• 4 cloves garlic 

• 1 cup fresh ricotta (if it's cow's milk ricotta, use Parm later in recipe; if it's sheep's milk, use pecorino)

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried  

• About ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest     

• 1 pound spinach tonnarelli or spaghetti or other long pasta  

• 3 tablespoons EVOO  

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1 ¼-1 ½ pounds medium- to large-leaf spinach, stemmed (1-pound cleaned weight) and chopped

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes  

• Juice of ½ lemon  

• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese  

• ¼ cup pine nuts , toasted

Directions

Serves: 4

Warm cream with 2 cloves of crushed garlic in a small pot over low heat.  

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta with salt and pepper, thyme, nutmeg and lemon zest, then set aside.  

Salt boiling water and cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions. 

While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat with EVOO. Add shallots and stir a minute or two. Grate in the remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Add spinach and wilt into pan.  Season with salt, red pepper flakes, a little extra grated nutmeg and lemon juice.  

Reserve ½ cup starchy pasta liquid, drain pasta and add to spinach. Add the warm cream and the ricotta mixture and toss to combine for 1 minute, adding grated cheese and reserved water as you go. Top with toasted pine nuts.