When life gives you lemons 🍋, make some Pasta al Limone! This lemon pasta recipe is zesty, bright, fresh, peppery and salty and couldn’t be more perfect for the Spring and Summer seasons! It’s like sunshine on a rainy day - much needed and refreshing!
This lemon-infused pasta utilizes lemons in two ways! The lemon juice and zest combine with earthy and salty Pecorino Romano and pasta water to create the most simple, flavourful and creamy sauce. No heavy cream required! Linguine is then cooked to perfection (al dente is where it’s at) before it gets tossed in peppery olive oil, butter and lemon cream sauce. A sprinkling of fresh parsley rounds out the flavours of this dish, creating one of the most refreshing and satisfying spoonfuls!
My Pasta al Limone recipe comes together in 15 minutes, making it ideal for a quick weeknight dinner yet special enough for a date night at home! It couldn’t be easier to make and uses a handful of simple and everyday ingredients. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
400g linguine (See Notes below)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated (See Notes below)
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
Additional grated Pecorino Romano, as garnish
2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, as garnish
Instructions:
Cooking the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the linguine. Cook the pasta in accordance with package instructions or until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Then, using a colander, drain the pasta.
Creating the Lemon Sauce: While the pasta is cooking, to a medium bowl, add the Pecorino Romano, lemon zest and juice and 1/2 cup pasta water and whisk until fully incorporated.
To a large sauté pan or skillet, set over medium heat, add the olive oil and ground pepper. Heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Then, add the pasta and turn off the heat.
Making the Pasta al Limone: To the pasta, add the butter and lemon sauce and toss until combined. Add the remaining 1/2 cup pasta water and mix until you form a creamy sauce.
The Finishing Touch: Transfer the Pasta al Limone into individual serving bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of grated Pecorino Romano and fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Picking the Ideal Pasta: I love using linguine in this recipe given its shape, size and texture. It’s light and airy and holds the lemon sauce oh so well! If you don’t have linguine on hand, don’t you worry! Simply substitute it with fettuccine!
Fresh is Best: Nothing quite compares to freshly grated Pecorino Romano! At your local grocer, you’ll find the pre-grated variety, but, I highly recommend buying some Pecorino and grating it yourself. It makes a world of difference. Once you try freshly grated, you’ll never go back!