If you love lemons, then you are going to adore my pasta al limone. A rich, decadent cream sauce whipped up in minutes with just a few simple ingredients and some lemons… some bright, cheerful lemons.
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 12 ounces of pasta, 2 large lemons, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of finely shredded parmesan, 4 tablespoons of salted butter and a pinch of black pepper. This is all you need to whip up a batch of creamy, citrusy fabulousness.
Start by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, add a large pinch of salt and cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box.
While your pasta is cooking, add 1 cup of heavy cream in a large skillet and place it over medium heat. While the heavy cream is coming to a simmer, zest and juice both lemons.
Add the lemon zest into the heavy cream and as soon as it begins to simmer, whisk in 4 tablespoons of butter until the butter is fully melted and incorporated into the cream.
Once the butter is fully incorporated, remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, 1 cup of finely shredded parmesan and a big pinch of black pepper.
As soon as the pasta is done cooking, reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water, set it aside and transfer the cooked pasta directly into the sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta liquid in with the pasta and gently toss everything together until all of the pasta is coated in that glorious lemon cream sauce.
If the sauce is still to tight, add a little more pasta liquid until everything is silky and creamy and perfect.
Now divide the pasta between 4 bowls… or 2 if you and your bff are really hungry… and get ready to dig into one incredibly creamy and truly delightful bowl of pasta.
This pasta al limone is such a wonderful balance between the bright, cheerful flavors of fresh lemons and the rich, decadence that heavy cream and parmesan create. Its delicious and ready in about 20 minutes. Perfect for everything from a weeknight dinner to a weekend date night at home.
Buon Appetito!
Pasta al Limone
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of fresh or dried pasta
- 2 large lemons
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup of parmesan, finely shredded
- 4 tablespoons of butter, salted
- a pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Begin with bringing a large pot of water to a boil
- Once the water is boiling, add a large pinch of salt and cook your pasta according to manufacturers instructions
- Zest and juice the lemons and set aside for now
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a gentle simmer
- As soon as the heavy cream begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the lemon zest and half of the butter
- As soon as the butter is fully incorporated, whisk in the rest of the butter and remove the skillet from the heat
- Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water before draining the pasta
- Whisk about 1/2 cup of the pasta water along with the lemon juice into the sauce and as soon as it is creamy and fully incorporated, add the cooked pasta
- Toss the pasta in the sauce and add about 3/4 of the finely shredded parmesan and a big pinch of black pepper
- Add additional pasta water if the sauce begins to tighten up too much
- Divide the pasta between 4 plates and garnish with the remaining parmesan and additional black pepper
- Serve immediately
