Go Back
Creamy Lemon Pasta

Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 660
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dry linguine or spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup finely grated parmesan
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¼ cup reserved pasta water
  • Fresh basil leaves, torn

Method
 

  1. Boil salted water, cook pasta until al dente, reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
  2. Melt butter in a skillet, add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add pasta and parmesan. Toss with reserved pasta water a splash at a time until a glossy sauce coats the pasta.
  4. Serve in bowls, top with extra parmesan, torn basil, and black pepper.

Notes

Grate the parmesan just before you start and zest the lemons before juicing them. The sauce tightens as it cools, so serve it right away. If the pasta sits, it may dry out, but a splash of warm water or cream while reheating brings the sauce back.