Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta (Pasta al Limone)

Step 1

PASTA: Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Salt the water generously, and cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of the package directions. When the pasta is done, set aside 1 cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta.

Step 2

LEMON SAUCE: When the pasta has about 5 minutes remaining, heat the butter and olive oil with minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and the large peels of lemon over medium-low heat. Let the butter melt slowly, this will take up to 5-10 minutes. When the butter has melted, and the garlic starts to simmer, add in the heavy cream and kick the heat up to medium, when the cream starts bubbling, remove the large lemon peels.

Step 3

PASTA AL LIMONE: Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. Pour the lemon juice to finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time to make it as creamy as you’d like. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, fine lemon zest, and a dash of black pepper. Stir to combine, taste and adjust salt or pasta water as needed. When the sauce thickens slightly, serve warm with chicken, fish, or shrimp! If the sauce thickens too much at any point, use the pasta water to thin it back out again to your liking.