Parmesan Lemon Pasta (Printable)
Bright, creamy pasta with zesty lemon and savory Parmesan ready in 25 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz spaghetti or linguine
→ Sauce
02 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
05 - Zest of 1 large lemon
06 - Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tbsp)
07 - 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
08 - ¼ cup pasta cooking water (reserved)
→ Garnishes
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - Sea salt, to taste
11 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
12 - Chopped fresh parsley or basil (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Stir in the lemon zest and juice, allowing the mixture to warm through for about 30 seconds.
04 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Gradually add the grated Parmesan, stirring constantly. Pour in the reserved pasta water little by little, mixing until the sauce becomes creamy and clings to the pasta.
05 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the time it takes pasta to cook, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you want something special but low effort.
- Lemon and parmesan have this magical way of balancing each other out, bright and creamy without feeling heavy or weighing you down.
02 -
- The pasta water has to be hot when you add it to the cheese mixture, or the sauce will seize up into a grainy mess instead of turning smooth.
- Add your parmesan off the heat if you can, high temperatures can sometimes cause the cheese to separate and get oily.
03 -
- Microplane your zest directly into the pan to catch all those fragrant citrus oils that would otherwise end up on your cutting board.
- Save extra pasta water just in case you need a bit more to get the sauce consistency exactly right.