Pasta al limone proves that just a few ingredients can deliver big, bold flavor. This creamy Italian lemon pasta recipe is rich with butter and Parmesan yet bright and balanced thanks to fresh lemon zest (for aroma) and juice (for mouthwatering acidity). Like cacio e pepe or fettuccine Alfredo, the magic of this 15-minute dinner isn’t in a long ingredient list or hours at the stove, but in technique.
A silky emulsion creates a glossy sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti, while a final hit of lemon juice keeps the flavor vibrant and fresh. The result is a restaurant-worthy lemon pasta dish that’s weeknight-easy and endlessly craveable.
Tips for perfect pasta al limone
Build the sauce slowly
Whisk in the butter and Parmesan a little at a time to keep the sauce smooth and emulsified—rushing this step can cause clumping or greasiness.
Use more pasta water than you think
A splash of starchy pasta water helps the lemon pasta sauce cling and stay glossy. The sauce should look slightly loose in the pot—it will thicken quickly as it cools. And don’t forget to salt your pasta water thoroughly; it’s key to balancing the rich lemon-cream sauce.
Add lemon juice off the heat and adjust to taste
Stir in fresh lemon juice off the heat to keep the flavor bright and prevent curdling. Start with the suggested amount, then add more to taste—because lemons can have varying acidity, you might need more to make the sauce as bright as you’d like it.
Use a box grater, not microplane, to shred the Parmesan
Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly and can make the sauce clumpy. For the creamiest lemon pasta, grate your own Parmesan, but don’t use a microplane. Grating the cheese with the tiny holes on the side of a box grater creates nubbins of cheese that distribute and melt more evenly. Fine shreds (like those from a microplane) can easily clump.
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What you’ll need
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
12
¾
6
3
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Using a vegetable peeler, remove two 2"-long strips of zest from 1 lemon. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining lemon zest into a large pot (like a Dutch oven). Cut zested lemon in half and squeeze out enough fresh lemon juice to yield 2 Tbsp. into a small bowl; set aside.
Step 2
Cook 12 oz. spaghetti or other long pasta in another large pot of boiling heavily salted water according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
Step 3
Meanwhile, add ¾ cup heavy cream to pot with lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter until melted. Repeat with remaining 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, adding 1 Tbsp. at a time and whisking, until sauce is creamy and emulsified. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid. Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer spaghetti to pot with sauce (it’s okay if a little water comes along with it). Cook pasta, tossing often and adding 3 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ¾ cup) little by little, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in reserved lemon juice. If sauce looks tight, add 1–2 Tbsp. more pasta cooking liquid (cream sauces tighten up very quickly as they cool, so it’s better to lean on the saucier side of things). Season with more salt, if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then garnish with reserved lemon zest strips.
Editor’s note: This lemon pasta recipe was first printed in September 2018; it has been edited for style. Head this way for more easy recipes for dinner tonight →