Pasta al Limone (Italian Lemon Butter Cream Pasta)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 22 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Finely grated yellow zest melts into warm butter and carries the lemon scent through the whole sauce.
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The grater stays shallow, since the white pith underneath adds bitterness. The small amount of cream is only warmed until bubbles show at the edge, because a hard boil splits it. Starchy pasta water, added a little at a time with the Parmesan, emulsifies everything into a sauce that coats the linguine smoothly, and the plates go out before it tightens. With little more than lemon, butter, cream and Parmesan, this southern Italian pasta comes together in about 20 minutes, an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
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