Creamy Lemon Pasta

5 from 1 vote

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Short on time but still want a delicious meal? This Lemon Pasta Recipe comes together quickly with just a few basic ingredients, making it perfect for busy weeknights or a special dinner with someone you love.

Prep Time3

Cook Time12

Total Time15

Servings: people

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) linguine pasta
2 large lemons (See Note 1)
1 ounces (¼ stick or 30 grams) salted butter (or an additional 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil)
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) (plus more for boiling the pasta)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces (60 grams) finely grated Parmesan cheese ((Parmigiano Reggiano cheese) See Note 2)

Instructions

Finely grate the zest of the lemons. Squeeze the juice and you should have at least ⅓ cup, maybe a little more. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package.
While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ¾ of the fresh lemon juice (set the remainder aside for later), half of the lemon zest, and salt and pepper stirring to combine. Let the sauce reduce slightly.
Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce, tossing to coat.
Add 1 cup of pasta water then let the linguine simmer over high heat allowing the water to evaporate stirring constantly. In just a few minutes, it will turn creamy, absorb all the flavors, and finish cooking. Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Remove from the heat and stir in grated Parmesan cheese adding more pasta water as necessary to produce a creamy lemon sauce.
Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, lemon zest, or salt as you like to your taste. If the sauce to too tangy, add a little more butter.
Season with black pepper and serve immediately with a scattering of finely grated lemon zest. Extra Parmesan cheese can be added to each serving as desired.

Notes

Choose large lemons. If the lemons are small, use three. Some lemons are very juicy. Others are not juicy at all so this will vary. You may not use all the juice depending on how lemony you want the sauce to be.
Lemons will vary in acidity which is why this recipe is very much a matter of taste. Add more juice if your lemons are sweet or if you like a more sour and tangy sauce.
Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) can be omitted. In that case, add a small amount of fresh cream for a creamier texture.

Tips for Success

This pasta recipe is quick and requires no advanced prep. Have all equipment ready and water boiling to complete in 15 minutes.
Use fresh lemons, zesting first, then juicing. Bottled lemon juice won’t give the same flavor.
Don’t overcook the pasta; it will finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve pasta water to create the creamy sauce.
If the sauce is too tangy, stir in more butter or parmesan to balance. Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.

Nutrition