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

While the protein is cooking, boil a pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Make sure not to over cook 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.

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 and 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.

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.