Parmesan Lemon Pasta (Printable)
Creamy spaghetti with zesty lemon, Parmesan, and garlic. 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 - 3 tbsp juice from 1 large lemon
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 Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat 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 drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Gradually add grated Parmesan while stirring constantly. Pour in reserved pasta water little by little, mixing until 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 under 25 minutes using ingredients you probably already have in your fridge
- The sauce achieves that restaurant quality silky cling without any cream whatsoever
02 -
- The pasta water is absolutely essential, do not skip it or your sauce will separate into an oily mess
- Add the cheese off the heat or at lowest temperature to prevent it from becoming grainy and clumpy
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients emulsify more easily than cold ones straight from the fridge
- Grate your cheese against the finest holes of your box grater for the smoothest sauce