Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
15 minutes
Pasta al limone is more than the sum of its parts. The Italian lemon sauce is luscious and amply cheesy but bright thanks to fresh citrus. Like in cacio e pepe and fettuccine Alfredo, the key to this weeknight pasta dinner is not an abundance of ingredients (there are only five) or a long slow simmer (it takes just 15 minutes start to finish). Instead, this classic lemon pasta recipe relies on the power of emulsion—and on your patience.
First, you’ll infuse the cream with lemon flavor using the zest, then whisk in cold butter, one tablespoon at a time, until each addition is fully incorporated. You’ll follow suit with the Parmesan cheese: Allow each handful to become one with the creamy lemon pasta sauce before adding the next. Plop in the cheese all at once and you’re likely to end up with a glob that refuses to play nicely with the tangle of spaghetti (or linguine if preferred). A pour of starchy pasta water gives the sauce body, but remember that you’ll add fresh lemon juice (which will loosen the sauce further) to the pot after it comes off the heat. Adding it too soon can cause the sauce to break and curdle, not to mention dull the lemon’s acidity. If you need more guidance, check out this video.
Looking for a side dish? This lemony pasta dish pairs well with a big green salad and a loaf of garlic bread or a mix of fresh and pickled vegetables via our Giardiniera Antipasto Platter.
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What you’ll need
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
1
12
¾
6
3
Preparation
Step 1
Using a vegetable peeler, remove two 2"-long strips of zest from 1 lemon. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining lemon zest into a large pot (like a Dutch oven). Cut zested lemon in half and squeeze out enough fresh lemon juice to yield 2 Tbsp. into a small bowl; set aside.
Step 2
Cook 12 oz. spaghetti or other long pasta in another large pot of boiling heavily salted water according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
Step 3
Meanwhile, add ¾ cup heavy cream to pot with lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until melted and sauce is creamy and emulsified. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid. Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer spaghetti to pot with sauce (it’s okay if a little water comes along with it). Cook pasta, tossing often and adding 3 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ¾ cup) little by little, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in reserved lemon juice. If sauce looks tight, add 1–2 Tbsp. more pasta cooking liquid (cream sauces tighten up very quickly as they cool, so it’s better to lean on the saucier side of things). Season with more salt, if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then garnish with reserved lemon zest strips.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in September 2018. Head this way for more easy recipes for dinner tonight →
Leave a Review
Reviews (417)
Back to TopThis was delicious and not too hard to make. I topped it with grilled chicken breast. Will definitely make it again and probably eat with shrimp.
Marnie
Palmyra, VA
1/31/2024
My grandkids love this pasta
Nana
8/21/2023
Delicious! Bright lemon flavor is a big hit at my home. So easy & budget friendly. Great as main or side.
Mary I
Indianapolis, In
8/10/2023
This is a go to side-dish. Fast, simple and great flavour. This recipe never fails.
Anonymous
Windsor, ON
7/23/2023
Super delicious recipe. We love Italian food and this recipe hits the spot. I actually found a video version of the chef, Molly, cooking this very recipe on YouTube. It was so easy to follow and so helpful!! The quickest dish I've ever made and one of the most delicious, perfect for weekday suppers, when you need the comfort food.
Kristie
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
7/13/2023
I cannot imagine why it took me so long to understand this recipe. This is the perfect dish. I love it alone; I love it with A salad and bread, I love it with a pile of pounded chicken breast dipped in flour-egg-breadcrumbs and pan seared for 5 minutes each side. I think I might even like it as dessert: the way they serve pasta in Italy to cleanse the palate. I’m in heaven every time I make it. ❤️
Margaret Moriarty
Nassau Bay, Texas
5/9/2023
This recipe is not meant to be altered. It offers very simple basic ingredients that turn in to a decadent dinner. Use the very best you can get. If you have issues with something in the recipe I would say don't do it. You will completely lose out on an incredibly wonderful treat that is this dish I served mine with fresh garlic bread made with a roasted garlic, butter and olive oil sauce and a rustic bread. It complimented really well the simple flavores of the dish. A salad on the side with fresh greens from a farm and a bit of olive oil and pepper was a delight. White wine (Albarino) went well with the food and minimal preperation. I did sprinkle a bit of fresh pepper on top just before serving. I also used a regular lemon from the store, would love to use Meyer but couldn't find them. I also reserved about a quarter cup more pasta water than suggested, glad I did, end result wasn't dry, just needed a bit more for my taste. This one is a keeper. I'm going to put it aside to impress for larger dinners.
Anonymous
Rehoboth Beach, De
3/20/2023
This recipe was super easy and really delicious! Just make sure the cream emulsifies before you throw in the "pre-al dente" pasta. I paired this with the chicken schnitzel recipe on here. PERFECTION!
HW
Utah
1/14/2023
What an amazing dish, made it last night, as the primi for our first home cooked meal after a 3 week vacation and it took me straight back to Italy where I ate a similar dish about 2 years ago! I'll definitely be making it again, especially when having friends over fot dinner..
Natas
Nuenen, Netherlands
10/2/2022
Delish- tastes best with fresh pasta( but that’s more work!) . Easy to throw together sauce in a short window of time! ! added green beans for the kids to get their greens! Enjoy- this is a do again!
Hooley
Marietta,GA
8/26/2022
This dish makes me so happy. This is definitely my comfort recipe. I remember once I was feeling down after a hard day at work and this dish was the answer to my despair on that day and I almost cried while eating, because how delicious it was. The lemon elements with combination of fat and pepper just makes magic! Thank you Molly and BA for this recipe! :)
Aryo
Berlin, Germany
8/4/2022
I’ve had this recipe saved for over two years and was so disappointed in how it came out. Recipe is easy and straightforward and it was so underwhelming! The second helping was slightly better because the past had time to sit in the sauce but overall not worth it. Very sad about it!
Anonymous
Boston, MA
7/12/2022
I would happily make this for dinner more than once a week. It allows all sorts of fun variations (tonight, we added feta, shrimp, scallions and parsley, because that's what I had on hand) while the bright, fresh flavor of lemon and cream really shines through. My daughter (18mo) was delighted and ate half a grown-up portion!
Gwyn W.
Frederick, MD
7/2/2022
Excellent dish. The simplest meals are almost always the best. I made this for my daughter's birthday and it's now her favorite "special meal". I topped our pasta with pan seared scallops and shrimp. Delicious.
Andrea
Boynton Beach, FL
4/27/2022
Made this dish for dinner and there were no leftovers! The dish was absolutely delicious - creamy and full of flavor. Paired it with shrimp and some chardonnay.
Caitlin_LA
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2022