Pasta Al Limone is essentially a lemon butter sauce. So we are making it just like Fettucine Alfredo only adding both lemon zest and lemon juice to the butter. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s much lighter than Alfredo. Can also be made with olive oil and no cheese for a dairy-free option.
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 2 (Double Ingredients for 1 lb of pasta)
1/2 lb. dried Spaghetti
1/2 Stick Butter (4 Tablespoons)
1/2 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
The Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
DIRECTIONS
Bring a small pot of salted water to just under the boil. Add fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente. Taste it to determine when it’s perfectly al dente.
Get a pan on the stove next to the pot of water to finish the pasta in. You don’t want this pan hot but you do want it warm. You can let the pan sit on some heat for a few minutes to warm it up a bit but that's it. Don’t get it hot. Then add the cubed butter to the pan and the lemon zest and let that sit there until the pasta is al dente.
Once the pasta is al dente, transfer it directly to the pan with butter. Let that pasta water get in the pan too. Toss it up quickly then add the lemon juice. Toss and stir to emulsify the sauce. Then begin to sprinkle in parmesan cheese. Shake, stir and toss the pan to help the sauce form together. Then begin to add a spoonful or two of pasta water until the sauce really becomes very creamy. As soon as the sauce coats the pasta and is creamy and perfect, serve immediately with additional parm, additional lemon zest and if you want, some fresh cracked black pepper. This pasta needs to be eaten immediately so make sure everyone is ready to eat when this pasta is ready to serve. Serve on a warm plate works too.
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