Creamy Ziti Florentine

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, whites and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for garnish
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• 1/2 cup loosely packed torn basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until it’s al dente, with a little firmness when you bite it. Before you drain it, scoop out and save 2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
2. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’ve softened. Add the spinach and use tongs to turn it in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, just until it wilts.
3. Add the cooked ziti to the skillet, followed by 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest, ricotta, basil, and parsley, and mix briskly until everything comes together into a creamy sauce. If the pasta looks dry, add more of the pasta cooking water. Taste, then season with more salt and pepper if you’d like.
4. Spoon the ziti into shallow bowls and finish with another sprinkle of Parmesan.