Vegetarian Recipes

Frosty Lime Sherbet

Temperatures spiked to over 90°F this week in Los Angeles and the Santa Ana winds are here. Winds like these – hot, dry, strong, unpredictable – are unusual in June. They bring morning nose bleeds and turn palm fronds into ribbons that can cut. They’re both beautiful and disturbing. To keep doors and windows from slamming (and to keep the air circulating), I propped them open with rocks and my heaviest pots. Then I went to the garage and dusted off the ice cream maker for the first time this year and set to work making a simple lime sherbet.

The recipe is roughly equal parts plain yogurt, fresh citrus juice, and simple syrup. The trick is using a bit of orange and lemon to take just the right amount of edge off the lime juice. You end up with a lime sherbet that tastes like it tangled with a Creamsicle. In the recipe I let you know that I used 4 limes, 1 orange, and a big lemon. Basically, you want 1 1/3 cups of freshly squeezed citrus juice. That said, you can adjust the recipe based on what you have on hand. For example, bump up the orange juice if you’re short a lime. Just make the effort to freshly squeeze your fruit, it makes a difference.

Lime Sherbet Variations

Coconut Lime Sherbet: Swap out up to 1/2 cup of the yogurt for an equal amount of full-fat coconut milk.

Key Lime Sherbet: Substitute the juice of half of the limes with the juice of key limes.

Meyer Lime Sherbet: Substitute the juice of a Meyer lemon for the lemon called for. And add the zest as well.

I’m also going to mention one last thing we do with this sherbet. Take a tight, little scoop of the sherbet and place it in a small Picardie glass, or something similar. Top with a shot (or half-shot) of reposado tequila and enjoy asap. If this is already a thing – I think of it as tequila affogato (which means ‘drowned’ in Italian) – apologies in advance for not crediting. If not, it should be. Enjoy!

Frosty Lime Sherbet

I’ve also made this with 2% Greek yogurt, and the texture just wasn’t good – a bit chalky. So go for full fat plain yogurt here. *On the citrus juice front, you’re aiming for 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 1/3 cups fresh citrus juice* (from 4 limes, 1 orange, 2 lemons)
- 1 cup / 8 ounces / granulated sugar
- 1 cup / 240 ml water
- 1 1/2 cups / 12 ounces full-fat plain yogurt
- scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by zesting the limes, set aside. Now juice the limes, orange, and lemons. Strain, and measure out 1 1/3 cups of fresh juice (combine 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice) and refrigerate.

2. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat, and when cool enough to handle, transfer to a jar and refrigerate until cool.

3. Combine the citrus juice, simple syrup, and yogurt in a medium bowl. Mix, using a hand blender, until smooth.

4. Freeze using manufacturer’s instructions in an ice-cream maker, adding the salt and lime zest when the sherbet is the consistency of thick frosting. Serve or transfer to a freezer immediately.

NOTES

Makes about 1 1/2 pints.

*1 1/3 cup total: 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice.

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Vegetarian Recipes

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Here’s a quickie recipe for those nights when you just need something fast and delicious. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is super fast, light, and fresh, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner during the summer. The bright lemon flavor perfectly compliments the light and creamy ricotta, and the little pops of sweetness from the peas make every bite a little more interesting. Simple, fresh, and easy.

Originally posted 3-4-2011, updated 6-8-2022.

Do I Have to Use Fresh Lemon?

This is one of those recipes where you really do want to use a fresh lemon instead of bottled juice. The zest from the lemon adds a ton of bright, summery lemon flavor to the pasta without making the sauce too sour. We add just a little of the juice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta, but the zest is where you’re getting all that gorgeous sunny lemon flavor!

Not All Ricotta is Created Equal

I find there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of ricotta from brand to brand. Some are smooth, mild, and sweet like fresh milk, while others are bland and grainy. My preferred brand is Galbani, but they didn’t have any at the store when I went, so I got the generic Kroger brand. It was definitely a bit grainy, but the pasta was still quite delicious despite that!

Also, make sure to get whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just doesn’t hit the same in this recipe.

What Else Can I Add?

This simple pasta is a great jumping-off point for making a more elaborate pasta, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Try adding some sliced chicken breast, fresh basil, or fresh spinach. Garlic butter shrimp would also go great with this pasta!

What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta

This pasta is so light and fresh that I suggest keeping any side dishes really simple, light, and fresh as well. I would go with a super simple side salad, or maybe some roasted asparagus and tomatoes.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta is light, fresh, and quick to prepare, making it the perfect pasta for weeknight dinners in the summer.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.27 recipe / $1.07 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 400kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 lemon $0.89
8 oz. pasta* $0.67
1 cup frozen peas $0.50
1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
1 Tbsp butter $0.11
1 cup whole milk ricotta $1.60
1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.02
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste) $0.02
1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste) $0.02

Instructions

Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water from the pot.
Place the frozen peas in the colander before draining the pasta so the pasta will thaw the peas as it drains.
Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the drained pasta and peas, and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined, the residual heat from the skillet and pasta have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has formed a creamy sauce. Add more of the warm reserved pasta water if needed.
Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

*Use any short shape pasta.

Nutrition

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta – Step By Step Photos

Zest and juice one lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.

Cook 8oz. pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Add 1 cup of frozen peas to a colander, then pour the boiled pasta over top to thaw the peas as you drain the pasta.

Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

Add the still-hot pasta and peas to the skillet along with about ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.

Add 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp lemon zest to the pasta. Stir until the ingredients are combined, the residual heat from the pasta and skillet have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has turned into a creamy sauce.