Pasta al Limone is a simple summer pasta that’s creamy, bright and deliciously lemony. The combination of butter, lemon zest and juice, heavy cream and pasta water, gives you an intensely craveable pasta recipe.
I’ve recently become obsessed with Italian food. I honestly have no idea why. I mean, I’ve always loved pasta, duh, but now it’s different. I want to read about the different regions, and talk for hours about different pasta drying techniques. It’s become a recent fascination and this recipe is a by product of that.
Where is Pasta al Limone From?
Pasta al limone is a famous summer pasta dish that is actually made all over Italy. In my research, I was assuming I would find that its origins were going to be in the South of Italy, maybe Capri or Amalfi Coast, but in fact, it’s made all over. But it is made in abundance in the South during the summer months.
How to Make Pasta al Limone
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. This recipes goes FAST so I say get everything ready.
- Melt your butter and then add the garlic, olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Let it cook until slightly softened.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and then turn the heat off.
- In the pot of boiling water, add your pasta and cook just shy of al dente, about 1 minute under. I like to do this so that I can cook the pasta even further in the pan with the sauce.
- Add the heavy cream to the sauce and scoop out (closer to the cooking time so that you’re sure it’s starchy water), remove about 1 cup of pasta water. Add 1/2 cup to the sauce.
- Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Then, add in the cooked and drained pasta, cheese and mix it vigorously for about 1 minute. This process is super important because it really emulsifies the sauce and ensures even coating.
- Plate it up and top it with some Italian parsley or black pepper!
Tips and Tricks
- The biggest key to a good pasta sauce? Pasta water. It’s like the specialty ingredient that makes every sauce THAT much better. It’s glorious.
- In this recipe, you really need the zest AND the juice. It adds such a punch of brightness to an otherwise overly fatty dish.
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Looking for more recipes to make? Here are some of my favorites:
Pasta al Limone
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest from 2 lemons
- Juice from 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup lemon juice)
- 16 ounces pasta of choice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano about 2 ounces
- Handful of Italian parsley minced
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- In large skillet, set over medium heat, add the butter. When melted, add the minced garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and a few pinches of salt. Turn off the heat and turn your attention to the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in the pot that’s boiling, add the pasta and cook it until about 1 minute under al dente. We’re going to cook it a bit longer in the pot with the sauce.
- Remove about 1 cup of pasta water. To the sauce, add the heavy cream and 1/2 cup of pasta water. Cook it on a simmer for about 3 minutes. This will thicken the sauce. Add the pasta, along with the cheese and mix vigorously for 1 minute. This will ensure an even coating of the sauce.
- Plate it up and top it with a sprinkling of Italian parsley or black pepper.
Notes
- The biggest key to a good pasta sauce? Pasta water. It’s like the specialty ingredient that makes every sauce THAT much better. It’s glorious.
- In this recipe, you really need the zest AND the juice. It adds such a punch of brightness to an otherwise overly fatty dish.Â
So easy, but so delicious! Prep and cooking is so quick and goes so fast!
would 8 ounces {1/2 pound of pasta} be enough for this amount of sauce also for 2 people?
It sounds delish, must try