Lemon Butter Pasta Light (Print Version)

A bright, zesty pasta dish with silky lemon-butter sauce and fresh parsley garnish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces capellini (angel hair pasta)
02 - 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)

→ Sauce

03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
04 - 2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Finishing

06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
09 - Salt, to taste

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the capellini and cook until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Warm for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add the drained capellini to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce.
04 - Remove from heat. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
05 - Divide among plates, garnish with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired, and serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's ready faster than you can set the table, yet tastes like a restaurant made it.
  • The sauce isn't cream-heavy, so you feel light and satisfied instead of weighed down.
  • With just a handful of ingredients, it proves that simplicity done right beats fussiness every time.
02 -
  • Don't drain your pasta in a colander if you can help it—pour it through a sieve over a bowl so you catch that starchy water, which is what makes the sauce actually coat instead of slide off.
  • The sauce comes together in the pan with the pasta, not before; this is emulsion territory, and stirring hot pasta with hot fat is how you create something creamy without cream.
03 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks oily, add a splash of that reserved pasta water and keep stirring off heat—it'll come back together because the starch in the pasta water is helping everything emulsify.
  • Taste the pasta just before you drain it; if it's not quite at al dente, leave it in the pan with the sauce for another thirty seconds, which will finish the cooking perfectly while incorporating the flavors.
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