Pasta al Limone (Lemon Pasta)

A bright, lemony dish that'll brighten up your table, Pasta al Limone (or lemon pasta) is the perfect pasta for the summer and beyond! Lemon, shallots and Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese come together with pasta for a classic dish that's hard to resist.

What is Pasta al Limone?

Pasta al Limone, or lemon pasta, is a pasta dish that brings together the tartness of lemons with the familiar, hearty texture of pasta to create the ultimate summertime dish. However, you can really eat it year-round since it's simple to make and only calls for a few ingredients.

Enjoy pasta al limone during a picnic or serve it alongside a hearty dinner to lighten up your spread. It's great as a side or as a main dish!

Why You'll Love This Pasta al Limone Recipe

• It's simple. You really only need a few ingredients for this pasta al limone recipe so you can make it even when you don't have many ingredients in your fridge.
• It's light. This pasta al limone recipe is perfect as a side for when you have a hearty main and want to lighten up your meal. Or, it stands up on its own as a bright, lemony main for any celebration or get-together.
• It's quick. Make this in less than 30 minutes! Perfect for a weeknight meal when you just don't know what to make.

Ingredients You'll Need for Pasta al Limone

• Extra virgin olive oil. Great to sweat the shallots in while also providing a little depth to balance the brightness of this pasta al limone recipe.
• Butter. Perfect for a little touch of creaminess, butter blends in nicely with the EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and helps the shallots sweat together.
• Lemons. What's a lemon pasta recipe without lemons?! This recipe calls for the zest and the juice of your lemons so we're using the whole fruit.
• Shallots. These make the sauce a little sweeter while also bringing another layer of flavor to the sauce. Shallots are not as strong as garlic and not as sweet as onions so I find them to be perfect for this recipe.
• Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano will help make this pasta sauce nice and glossy.
• Pasta. After the lemons, pasta is the most important part of this recipe, of course! To make this recipe even more decadent, you can definitely try making your own pasta.
• Pasta water. This is key to making this sauce (and any pasta sauce, really!) glossy and saucy. The starches in pasta water help any pasta sauce get to that iconic consistency that you know and love - that stick-to-the-pasta kind of texture!
• Freshly cracked black pepper. The pepper provides the perfect earthy bite to balance the bright, bold flavors in this dish.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Pasta al Limone

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for your pasta. Make sure to salt it generously - it should taste like the ocean!
2. In a large pan, sauté the shallots in two tablespoons of the melted butter and extra virgin olive oil for on medium heat for about three to four minutes or until they're translucent.
3. Add the pasta into pot of the boiling water. Stir and cook until the pasta is a few minutes shy of al dente. Reserve about two cups of your pasta water. You'll use one cup to build out your sauce but may want some more to get to the consistency you prefer.
4. In the meantime, add in the lemon juice and lemon zest to your pan with the shallots. Once combined, add in the pasta water and cook together for about a minute. Add in the grated Parmiggiano Reggiano, in stages, and whisk together quickly, making sure it doesn't clump in the sauce.
5. Add in the not-yet-al-dente pasta to the pan, as well as the lemon zest. The pasta will continue to cook in the lemon sauce. Cook until the pasta is al dente. If the sauce thins out, add more pasta water to get your desired consistency. Add in the remaining butter - this will make the sauce extra glossy.
6. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and Parmiggiano Reggiano.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Pasta al Limone can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. However, the longer you keep it in the fridge the more the texture of the pasta will change so your pasta will be less and less al dente as time passes.

To heat up the pasta again, I recommend you heat it in a pan and pour some water or broth to get the pasta saucy again as you stir to heat the pasta.

You can also do this in the microwave but I highly recommend the pan method for a better sauce consistency.

Tips and Tricks for Pasta al Limone

• Zest the lemons before cutting them. Since we're using the zest and juice of the lemons in this pasta al limone recipe, make sure you zest them before juicing them to make it a little easier to prep for this recipe.
• Make sure your pasta is al dente! For the best pasta, you'll always want to make sure your spaghetti is al dente before you stir it in the sauce. In fact, I make sure my pasta is about two to three minutes before al dente before I add it into the sauce - for this and any pasta recipe.

Did you try out this recipe? I'd love to know how it went! Leave me a comment and rating below or tag me on Instagram at @AFabulousBite!