Easy Pasta al Limone Recipe (with Bucatini or Spaghetti)
This Pasta al Limone, or Creamy Lemon Pasta recipe is a bright, zesty pasta dish made with fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and parmesan cheese. An immediate transport to the Amalfi Coast, this dish is one for the summer menu, all season long!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta preferably spaghetti, linguine or bucatini (feel free to do half pasta, half zucchini noodles)
- Kosher salt to season the pasta water
- 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest of 3 lemons + an extra for garnish divided
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter or plant butter
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese or pecorino divided
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot full of water to a boil. Once it’s at a raging boil, season the water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
- Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the package recommends. For instance, if the package states 11 minutes, cook for 8 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, place the olive oil into a large saute pan or skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Add the lemon zest of 2 lemons (just eyeball it) to the pan along with half of the lemon juice, all of the butter, and season with black pepper and salt to taste.
- Once your pasta is ready (it’s not quite al dente yet), save two cups of pasta water and strain the pasta and place it in the pan with the lemon mixture or you can pull out the pasta with tongs and leave the pasta water in the pot.
- Pour 1 ⅓ cups pasta water into the pan with the lemon and pasta, and turn the heat to high. You will cook the pasta in the skillet for 3 minutes. This is when the pasta will release a lot of starch to help make the dish creamy and eliminate the need to add actual cream.
- For the first minute, constantly stir while the pasta water evaporates.
- Then add the remaining lemon zest into the pan.
- With 45 seconds to go, add in the rest of the reserved lemon juice. Keep stirring the pasta on high heat. Stir until most, but not all the water has evaporated. You want some starchy liquid to remain.
- Taste the pasta. When it is perfectly al dente, remove the pan from the heat and add ¾ cup of cheese. Toss to coat until it is creamy and silky. Add extra pasta water as needed. Zest the last lemon on top and serve immediately with extra cheese on the side.
Notes
Recipe Tips
Mint feels fresh and light, but basil is nice too.
You can also go off-script and add fresh veggies like peas, sauteed zucchini, or protein like shrimp or chicken.
Make it vegan: use plant butter and vegan Parmesan (I like Violife vegan Parmesan).
If you use spaghetti squash or a spiralized vegetable instead of pasta, you’ll need a richer liquid than just water. Consider half unsweetened and unflavored cashew milk or soy milk and half water in the pan to create a sauce. Another thickening agent to mimic creaminess is a dollop of Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese.
You can also go off-script and add fresh veggies like peas, sauteed zucchini, or protein like shrimp or chicken.
Make it vegan: use plant butter and vegan Parmesan (I like Violife vegan Parmesan).
If you use spaghetti squash or a spiralized vegetable instead of pasta, you’ll need a richer liquid than just water. Consider half unsweetened and unflavored cashew milk or soy milk and half water in the pan to create a sauce. Another thickening agent to mimic creaminess is a dollop of Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese.