1️⃣ If cooking protein, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the shrimp until light pink. 🍤🔥

2️⃣ While the protein is cooking, boil a pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook the pasta; you want the noodles to be slightly firm. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water with a measuring cup before straining the pasta. 🍝⏲️

3️⃣ Dump the cooked pasta into the same large skillet with the cooked protein. Add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, black pepper, sea salt, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes on top, then pour in the reserved pasta water. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to toss everything together until the noodles are well coated in the cheese sauce. 🥄🍋🧀

4️⃣ Serve the pasta while warm into individual bowls. Drizzle a little olive oil over top if desired, and top with extra black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chopped chives if desired. 🍝🫒🌿