Pasta al Limone (Italian Lemon Butter Cream Pasta)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 22 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Pasta al limone is a pasta from southern Italy that relies entirely on lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, cream, and Parmesan for its sauce, with no tomato and no meat to complicate the flavor.
Read more
The citrus oils drawn from the zest dissolve into warm butter and spread their aroma evenly through the fat before any liquid is added, which is what gives the finished sauce its rounded, lingering lemon character rather than a sharp acidic bite. A ladleful of starchy pasta water is then added to emulsify everything into a glossy, clingy coating that holds to each strand of linguine without pooling at the bottom of the plate. Cooking the sauce over low heat throughout is critical: cream added to high heat separates and loses its silky texture. Linguine cooked al dente provides enough resistance to stand up to the light sauce without the combination feeling heavy or cloying. Total preparation from filling a pot with water to plating takes roughly twenty minutes, making it a realistic weeknight option despite its refined result.
Ingredients
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Wash 1 lemon well, finely grate only the yellow zest, and squeeze the juice into a separate bowl.
Avoid grating the white pith because it can make the sauce taste bitter.
- 2Finish
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add part of the salt, and cook 220 g linguine until al dente.
Before draining, reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water for loosening and emulsifying the sauce.
- 3Control
Set a wide pan over low heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add the lemon zest and warm it for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, without browning the butter.
- 4Control
Pour in 60 ml heavy cream and stir over low heat for about 1 minute until warm.
Do not let it boil hard; small bubbles at the edge are enough and help prevent the cream from separating.
- 5Finish
Add the drained linguine and 35 g Parmesan to the pan, then toss quickly so the cheese melts into the cream.
Add reserved pasta water little by little until the sauce looks glossy and clings to the strands.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice so the acidity stays bright.
Season with the remaining salt and black pepper, then plate immediately before the sauce thickens too much.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Southern Italian pasta relying on fresh lemon zest, butter, and cream for a bright, citric sauce.
- Finish cue
- Add reserved pasta water little by little until the sauce looks glossy and clings to the strands.
- Avoid this
- Keep heat low to avoid sauce separation.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
22min, 8 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Herb Roasted Whole Chicken
lemon, butter
Steak au Poivre (Peppercorn Sirloin with Brandy Cream Sauce)
butter, olive oil
Korean Salt-Grilled King Prawns
lemon, butter