Lemon Pasta
This Lemon Butter Pasta (Pasta al Limone) makes a silky lemon sauce bursting with fresh flavors and rich Parmigiano cheese that coats the pasta perfectly. Ready in just 25 minutes using only simple ingredients!
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti or pasta of choice
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1-2 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons good quality butter
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- Chopped fresh basil or fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk parmigiano, pecorino cheese, and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to make a paste. Gradually add the oil while constantly whisking until smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous salt (it should taste like the sea!).
- Cook pasta, occasionally stirring with your favorite pasta utensil, for 8 minutes or until al dente according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, melt the butter, and reduce the heat to low.
- Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the pan with butter sauce on low heat. Toss to coat. Add the cheese and lemon mixture to the pasta. Toss to coat and add pasta water to the spaghetti. Keep stirring. It will take a few minutes to thicken and create a silky sauce. Turn off the heat and serve hot.
- Toss in torn basil or chopped parsley if desired. Serve with additional Parmigiano on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook Pasta Perfectly. Make sure to salt the water to flavor the pasta from the inside out. Only cook until al dente.
- Use Freshly Grated Parmigiano. It helps to grate the cheese finely, so it mixes well with the lemon juice and melts nicely into the sauce.
- Reserve Pasta Water. Save a cup of the pasta water to make the sauce extra creamy without using cream. After the pasta is cooked, gently toss the sauce and pasta water in the warm pan and watch the magic unfold!
- Juicing and Zesting Your Lemons. Zest the lemon before juicing it, it's much easier. Don't forget you want to avoid zest the white pith below the yellow outside as it's quite bitter. Roll your lemons before juicing to loosen up the juices. This makes it easier and results in more juice!
Nutrition
Serving: 240g | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 628mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 308mg | Iron: 1mg
