Chipotle Linguine with Lemon Ricotta Sauce

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

In a metal or glass bowl mix the ricotta, cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Boil pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Remember, fresh pasta cooks within three minutes so keep an eye on it!

While the pasta cooks, hold the bowl with the cheese mixture over the boiling pot. This will allow the cheese mixture to warm and make it easier to mix with the pasta.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it but first reserve a bit of the cooking water. Add pasta into the bowl with the cheese mixture, tossing to coat. Add peas, which will warm with the hot pasta. Note, adding a bit of the pasta water will help the cheese mixture coat the pasta.

Once everything is thoroughly mixed, serve warm.

I love flavored pastas and it seems they are becoming more widely available at grocery stores. When I found this chipotle pasta, I couldn’t pass it up! However, I was concerned that a basic red sauce would not pair well with the heat of the pasta. So I decided to throw together a light lemony ricotta sauce to counter the spiciness of the pasta without masking its smoky flavor. The peas add pops of sweetness to the dish. This sauce could easily be paired with other pasta flavors, especially lemon pepper!