Spaghetti al Limone
A luxurious and creamy pasta dish featuring fresh lemon, Parmesan cheese, and butter in a silky cream sauce. This bright and elegant Italian classic perfectly balances rich and citrus flavors.
Ingredients
- •1 whole lemon
- •12 oz spaghetti
- •1 to taste Kosher salt
- •¾ cup heavy cream
- •6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- •3 oz Parmesan
- •1 to taste black pepper
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove two (2"-long) strips of lemon zest. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining zest into a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into a small bowl to yield 2 Tbsp.; set aside.
5 min
- 2.
Add cream to pot and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until melted and sauce is creamy. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
8 min
- 3.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in another large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
10 min
- 4.
Scoop out 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid and add to cream sauce. Return sauce to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce and cook, tossing often and adding Parmesan a little at a time, until sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. If sauce looks tight, add 1-2 Tbsp. more pasta cooking liquid. (Cream sauces tighten as they cool, so lean on the saucy side.) Stir in reserved lemon juice; season with salt.
5 min
- 5.
Divide pasta among bowls. Season with pepper and top with reserved lemon zest strands.
2 min