Pasta al limone
"Simple and silky pasta al limone is a dish I like to think of as lazy-fancy and can be pulled out of kitchen in 20 min. The real key to the dish is using the starchy pasta water to help build a creamy (but no cream in sight!) sauce that melds beautifully with the final finish of Parmesan cheese: to make this easier, for this particular recipe, I only fill my pasta pot half-way with water, to yield an even starchier pasta water. To allay any fears of the Parmesan cheese seizing up like in a failed cacio e pepe, I take the pasta off the heat to toss in the cheese vigorously, which, along with the starchy sauce, helps it melt in beautifully!"
Difficulty
Easy 👌Ingredients
Utensils
pot (large), knife, cutting board, fine grater, citrus press, frying pan (large), cooking spoon, ladle, tongs
How-To Videos
How to chop green herbs
How to prepare garlic
How to grate cheese
How to zest citrus fruits
Nutrition per serving
Step 1/4
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ lemon
- 25 g Parmesan cheese
- ½ chili
- 10 g parsley
- pot (large)
- knife
- cutting board
- fine grater
- citrus press
Half-fill a large pot with water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel the garlic, then crush it with the flat side of your knife. Zest and juice the lemon. Finely grate Parmesan. Finely slice chili, if using. Finely mince parsley.
Step 2/4
- 25 g butter
- 25 ml olive oil
- 200 g tagliatelle
- salt
- frying pan (large)
- cooking spoon
Add butter and olive oil to a frying pan set over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add the garlic and chili and heat slowly, stirring, approx. 2 min. In the meantime, salt the pasta water once it’s reached a rolling boil, then add the pasta to the pot and cook for 2 min. less than the recommended cooking time, until very al dente, approx 4 min.
Step 3/4
- 300 ml pasta water
- salt
- pepper
- ladle
Just before the pasta is ready, add lemon zest and juice to the frying pan and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Scoop out the recommended amount of pasta water, add to the pan, and turn the heat up to medium-high so it bubbles and reduces.
Step 4/4
- Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
- tongs
Transfer the pasta across to the frying pan using tongs. Use the tongs to keep tossing the pasta in the sauce, approx. 2 min. until it thickens, reduces, and is glossy. Add extra pasta water to adjust to the desired consistency, if needed. Remove the pan from heat, add half the Parmesan cheese and continue to toss vigorously with the tongs. Repeat with the remaining half until incorporated into a creamy sauce. Serve and garnish with parsley, lemon zest, and extra Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
