Parmesan Lemon Pasta (Printable)

Creamy pasta with zesty lemon and savory Parmesan, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You 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)

# How-To:

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 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, making it perfect for weeknight exhaustion or weekend impromptu dinners
  • The sauce technique of using pasta water creates restaurant quality creaminess without any actual cream
02 -
  • The sauce will look too loose at first but keep tossing and it will thicken beautifully as the starch activates
  • Always add the pasta water gradually because you can always add more but you cannot take it back
03 -
  • Use the smallest holes on your grater for the parmesan so it incorporates smoothly into the sauce
  • Room temperature butter prevents the sauce from separating when you add it to the hot pasta

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