Spring Pasta Limone (Printable)

Silky lemon-butter pasta tossed with parmesan and basil—ready in 15 minutes for bright spring meals.

# What you'll need:

→ Pasta

01 - 200 g dried spaghetti or linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 40 g unsalted butter
03 - 1 large lemon (zested and juiced)
04 - 60 ml (¼ cup) pasta cooking water
05 - 60 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
06 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
07 - Salt, to taste

→ To Finish

08 - 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
09 - Extra parmesan, for serving
10 - Lemon zest, for garnish (optional)

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the butter and toss to coat. Pour in the lemon juice and reserved pasta water.
04 - Sprinkle in the grated parmesan and black pepper. Toss vigorously over low heat until the sauce becomes creamy and clings to the pasta. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
05 - Remove from heat. Add the torn basil leaves and toss gently.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan and lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • If you’re craving spring but haven’t seen the sun in weeks, this pasta is like edible sunshine in a bowl.
  • It’s my go-to for last minute dinners that can still wow guests or simply turn a regular Tuesday into something lovely.
02 -
  • Don’t skip reserving the pasta water—I once forgot and ended up with dry noodles and disappointment.
  • The secret to that luscious, creamy sauce is all in the tossing; when I got lazy, the parmesan clumped instead of melting in.
03 -
  • Never let the cheese hit a fiercely hot pan or it will turn stringy instead of creamy—off the heat is the magic spot.
  • A microplane for zesting will change your life here—no bitter pith, just pure sunshiny aroma.
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