Pasta Al Limone Recipe – Creamy Lemon Pasta
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The best Pasta Al Limone Recipe with a simple lemon sauce made with garlic, butter, parmesan cheese, cream and lemon zest. You can add chicken or grilled shrimp or enjoy it as is! Bon Appetit!
Meet your new favorite meatless pasta dish – Pasta al Limone! The pasta dish that caused me to wonder why on earth I complicate my cooking more than necessary. It is SUPER EASY to make, zingy and creamy with the perfect balance of sweetness, saltiness, and acidity!
This South Italian pasta classic is a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that is refreshing and simple but the mix of lemon and parmesan will take your tastebuds on an Italian Summer holiday!
What is Authentic Italian Pasta Al Limone?
Pasta al limone is a simple South Italian pasta dish consisting of pasta (usually spaghetti), lemon (zest and juice), plenty of butter or sometimes olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan, salt, and a generous amount of black pepper.
The origin of pasta al Limone is disputed, but it is definitely a big deal in southern Italy and Sicily, regions that are known for their lemons. There are plenty of variations of this South Italian lemon pasta recipe. Some of them contain a splash of white wine, others lots and lots of butter; some, like this one use cream.
My extra creamy version of this lemon pasta uses the holy trinity of cream, creamy goat cheese and parmesan cheese. You can, of course, add normal cream cheese – I just happened to have goat’s cream cheese and it went perfectly with the lemon note.
The authentic Pasta Al Limone Recipe is made with Sorrento lemons. But you can still make a delicious bowl of creamy lemon pasta using regular lemons.
Let me tell you, this might be my favorite pasta dish EVER! It’s even better than cacio e pepe!!! With this creamy lemon sauce, this is just so crazy delicious. You can make it using half-and-half and you can use any pasta you have kicking around in your pantry. I used Fettuccine, but you can use tagliatelle or spaghetti. Even rotini or penne would work.
Every bite wows more than the last and it’s simply mindblowing how good something this easy, made with so few ingredients, can taste that divine.
Put on some Italian music in the background while cooking, then spoil someone special and surprise them with this flavor bomb of a pasta dish!
How to make the best Pasta Al Limone
Because this recipe only has few ingredients, quality is key!
For making pasta al Limone, you will need:
- Organic Lemon. Most recipes use both juice and zest but I honestly find the version with lemon juice too acidic and go with zest only.
- Freshly Grated Parmesan. Make sure to buy the real-deal, and grate it yourself right off of the block.
- Cream and Cream Cheese – I used creamy goat cheese and love it.
- Butter – I used salted butter but take whatever you have.
- Pasta. I recommend you go with long noodles that can be dragged and tossed through the liquid. Spaghetti is the classic pasta shape but any long noodle such as fettuccine or linguine works too.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper. Especially the black pepper – it’s essential.
Can I make Lemon Pasta with Chicken or Shrimp?
Yes, you can totally add some more protein. Pasta al Limone with chicken is a sure bet but grilled shrimp would also be nice. Make sure to prepare it separately though. I love topping this pasta dish with grilled, sautéed, or even simply shredded leftover rotisserie chicken.
This lemon cream pasta would also go really well with a fillet of grilled salmon.
Tips:
- You can add some fresh herbs to your liking, think mint or basil fresh or flat-leaf parsley. Stay away from dried herbs, which are lackluster in flavor.
- Add sauteed veggies like green asparagus, or grilled zucchini. So good!
- When buying lemons, it is important to choose organic lemons that have not been treated with pesticides as we are using the zest. Look for lemons with rough, rather than smooth, skins, as they contain more of the essential oil.
- Do not forget a grinding of fresh black pepper.
- Make this for a dinner party and follow up with a shot of homemade Italian Limoncello Lemon Liqueur.
Also try my Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce Pasta and my Creamy Paprika Pasta
★ Did you make and love this pasta al limone recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Pasta al Limone - Creamy Lemon Pasta
The best Pasta Al Limone Recipe with a simple creamy lemon sauce made with parmesan cheese, fresh lemon and cream. You can add chicken or grilled shrimp or enjoy it as is! Bon Appetit!
Ingredients
- 1 big organic lemon
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta or spaghetti - 340 g
- 6 tbsps salted butter 80 g
- 1 cup cream 250 ml
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey - optional
- 3 tbsps cream cheese or goat cheese - about 50 g
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese 90 g
- salt to taste
For serving
- chopped pistachios for serving optional
- lemon zent
- black pepper
Instructions
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Grate the zest of 1 big organic lemon. If you want, you can set some aside for decoration.
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Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
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While the pasta is cooking, add the cream to the pot with the lemon zest and honey cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer. This should take about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk in the cubed butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until melted and sauce is creamy and emulsified. Remove from heat.
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Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Add ¾ cup (180 ml) pasta cooking liquid to the cream sauce and return to medium heat. Add the cream cheese and stir to combine. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the pot with sauce. It's okay if a little bit of water comes along with it. I just dump the pasta into a sieve, take the sieve and transfer the pasta immediately.
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Cook a minute tossing the pasta often and add the grated Parmesan little by little, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy about 3 minutes. If the sauce needs thinning, add 1–2 Tbsp more of pasta cooking liquid. Remember that cream sauces thicken up even more as they cool, so it’s better to err on the saucier side. If you are using herbs, add them now right in the end and gently toss again. Serve with more Parmigiano for sprinkling on top. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
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Divide the pasta among two bowls. Season with freshly cracked black pepper, then top with reserved lemon zest and chopped pistachios.
Recipe Notes
Tips:
- You can add some fresh herbs to your liking, think mint or basil fresh or flat-leaf parsley. Stay away from dried herbs, which are lackluster in flavor.
- When buying lemons, it is important to choose organic lemons that have not been treated with pesticides as we are using the zest. Look for lemons with rough, rather than smooth, skins, as they contain more of the essential oil.
- Do not forget a grinding of fresh black pepper.
- Make this for a dinner party and follow up with a shot of homemade Italian Limoncello Lemon Liqueur.
The sauce is perfect! Just right with the amount of zest and the addition of cream cheese makes it soooo creamy! Used normal cream cheese and fresh basil! YUM
These are really easy to make and SO DELISH! One of those classic pasta recipes that everybody loves!
Liebe Kiki,
ich weiß nicht, wie oft ich deine Zitronenpasta schon nachgekocht habe und dann anschließend mit absolut seligem Grinsen vor meinem Essen saß (Minze ist übrigens mein Favorit). Immer dachte ich anschließend, ich müsste dir das endlich mal mitteilen. Aber vermutlich überkam mich jedes Mal das Fresskoma. Also jetzt: vielen Dank für das Rezept, das mir im letzten Jahr viele Glücksmomente beschert hat.