Creamy Lemon Pasta is made with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes! This bright flavored pasta dinner is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love.
CREAMY LEMON PASTA RECIPE
I’ve had dreams of this lemon pasta in my head for a while now. Creamy pasta infused with lemon, butter, and garlic. Pasta water is used to bind it all together in a creamy dish!
BROWN BUTTER
What makes this version different is that we brown half of the butter to add another layer of flavor. Brown butter adds a toasty, deeper, richer flavor. Can you skip this part? Yes. But why would you. I learned this trick from Bon Appetit.
HOW TO BROWN BUTTER
- Melt butter. It will foam and bubbly.
- Keep a careful watch on it. It will turn from yellow to brown quickly. Starting first with little brown specks. In this recipe we stop the browning by adding more butter and cream.
INGREDIENTS
- LEMON – Lemon zest and lemon juice brighten this dish.
- PASTA – Any short pasta will work in this dish.
- GARLIC
- BUTTER – Half of the butter is browned to add a layer of flavor.
- HEAVY CREAM
- GRATED PARMESAN – I have used fresh grated Parmesan and the regular stuff. Both works.
- RED PEPPER – Crushed red pepper adds a little kick.
PASTA AL LIMONE
MISE EN PLACE
Mise en place means “a culinary process in which ingredients are prepared and organized (as in a restaurant kitchen) before cooking”.
Basically to be successful in this recipe it really helps if you half all the ingredients set out and ready to go. Especially in the brown butter part because if you don’t add the remaining butter after the butter has browned it could burn.
OTHER PASTA RECIPES:
Lemon Pasta
Creamy Lemon Pasta is made with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes! This bright flavored pasta dinner is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love.
- 1 lb short pasta (penne, ziti, Trottole)
- 1 large lemon
- 1/2 cup butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste , (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to start)
- (optional) chopped parsley for garnish
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In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to directions. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
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Zest the lemon and cut two slices off removing the seeds. Juice the rest of the lemon. Set aside.
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In a large saucepan, melt half of the butter (4 tablespoons) over medium heat with the two slices of lemon. Brown the butter (cook for 3-4 minutes) until specks of brown appear and it smells nutty. Quickly add the garlic and red pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the slices of lemon with tongs.
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Quickly add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the 1 cup of pasta water (scooping it out if still cooking pasta).
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Simmer sauce for 5-7 minutes until it thickens slightly. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat.
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Serve immediately and garnish with more Parmesan and parsley if desired.
MISE EN PLACE
Mise en place means “a culinary process in which ingredients are prepared and organized (as in a restaurant kitchen) before cooking”.
Basically to be successful in this recipe it really helps if you half all the ingredients set out and ready to go. Especially in the brown butter part because if you don’t add the remaining butter after the butter has browned it could burn.