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Lemon Pasta Sauce

Lemon Pasta Sauce Recipe

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 -6
Calories: 517
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb spaghetti or linguine
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, for serving
  • Reserved pasta water, as needed

Method
 

  1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
  2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant (don’t brown).
  3. Pour in cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan and salt until smooth.
  4. Toss drained pasta in the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to reach a creamy, clinging consistency. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and black pepper.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, bring the cream to room temperature before adding and use freshly squeezed lemon juice. If the sauce sits, it thickens; stir in a little hot pasta water to loosen.