Pasta With Marscapone and Spinach

Ingredients

2 lemons, zested and juiced (about 6 tablespoons juice)

1 cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)

1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 pound whole wheat pasta

10 cups (loosely packed) fresh spinach, washed, dried, and roughly chopped

Instructions

-Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

-Bring a pot of water to boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente (still firm when bitten), taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, but first save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

-Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone sauce. Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water (more if necessary) to keep the sauce fluid but not too watery. Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked. Serve immediately.