Pasta Al Limone
An Italian summer classic. Even if it isn’t ‘technically’ summer here anymore, there is no reason why we can’t enjoy a big bowl of pasta that only takes 20 minutes to prepare, right?! Pasta al Limone celebrates the bright, zesty flavor of fresh lemons. Made with just a handful of ingredients—pasta, lemon, cream, and Parmesan—it creates a creamy, tangy sauce that coats the pasta beautifully.
Ingredients
- 400g linguine or spaghetti
- 2 organic unwaxed lemons
- 150-200 ml double cream
- 50g parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 50g butter
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Step 1
Grate off the zest/peel off the lemon skin, being careful to leave the pith (the white part of the lemon). Then cut the lemon(s) in halves. You want to end up with about a flat tablespoonful of zest.
Step 2
Put a pot of water onto the boil for the pasta. Add half a lemon (or two) to the water, squeezing the lemon juice into the water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt, let it come to the boil again and add the pasta.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan or skillet. Add the lemon zest and let it cook just a few moments. Once you begin to smell the lemony flavour, add the cream to the pan, stirring well, and then add the grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and ground pepper.
Step 4
Allow the cream to cook for a little bit, and then turn it off. Add a generous sprinkling of finely chopped parsley and mix.
Step 5
Cook the pasta until just al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is almost cooked, add half a ladle of the pasta cooking water to the lemon cream, and stir it in. Save a bit more of the pasta cooking water separately, and then drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce.
Step 6
Mix well, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavours of the sauce and adding a little more of the pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
Step 7
Serve immediately, sprinkled with a little more grated lemon zest, chopped parsley and grated Parmesan, and enjoy!