Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Zest of 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 1 1/2 lemons)
- 1 1/2 lbs pasta of choice
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup pasta water
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Handful of Italian parsley, minced (for garnish)
Preparing the Pasta Water
Boil a large pot of salted water.
The water should be salty like the sea; it is how seasoning gets into the pasta itself.
Prepare the Lemon Butter Base
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter.
Once the butter has melted, stir in the minced garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a few pinches of salt.
Turn off the heat and turn your attention back to the pasta.
Cooking the Pasta (Just Below Al Dente)
Add the pasta to the boiling water and boil for approximately 1 minute less than you normally would if you were cooking pasta al dente.
Before draining your pasta, reserve around 1 cup of pasta water for later use in creating a glossy creamy lemon sauce.
The pasta will continue cooking once added to the sauce, so it’s essential that you slightly undercook the pasta beforehand.
Creating the Creamy Lemon Sauce
Adjust the heat back to medium on the stove where the lemon butter base is cooking.
Pour the heavy cream and 3/4 cup of pasta water into the skillet with the lemon butter mixture.
Allow the cream and lemon butter mixture to simmer for approximately 3 minutes; the sauce should become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Combining the Cooked Pasta with the Sauce
After simmering for 3 minutes, add the cooked pasta and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to the skillet with the creamy lemon sauce mixture.
Using the tongs, toss the pasta in the creamy lemon sauce for approximately 1 minute to ensure that the sauce evenly coats each piece of pasta.
The starch from the pasta water and the cheese create a glossy saucy texture that adheres to the pasta.
If the sauce appears too thick, add additional pasta water, a little at a time.
Finally, plate and garnish with Italian parsley and fresh black pepper.
Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Zest of 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/4 cup lemon juice from about 1 1/2 lemons
- 1 1/2 lbs pasta of choice
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup pasta water
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Handful of Italian parsley for garnish, minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Turn off heat.
- Cook pasta in boiling water until 1 minute under al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Turn skillet back to medium heat and add heavy cream and 3/4 cup pasta water to lemon butter mixture.
- Simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add drained pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano to skillet and toss vigorously for 1 minute until sauce is glossy and coats pasta evenly.
- Add more pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Garnish with parsley and black pepper.
