Description
A bright and flavorful Lemon Butter Garlic Pasta Sauce featuring linguine tossed in a rich mixture of olive oil, butter, garlic, red chili flakes, lemon zest and juice, topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. This easy pasta al limone recipe is perfect for a quick, satisfying meal with a zesty twist.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta
- 300 g linguine or spaghetti
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 50 g grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard Italian cheese
- A handful freshly chopped parsley
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine or spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 to 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta well.
- Prepare the butter sauce: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt gently.
- Sauté garlic and chili flakes: Stir in the sliced garlic and red chilli flakes, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic lightly changes color and becomes fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Toss pasta in sauce: Transfer the drained pasta directly into the pan with the butter sauce. Use tongs to toss the pasta, ensuring it is well coated. If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Add lemon and cheese: Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice, then sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Toss everything again to combine evenly.
- Finish and serve: Add the chopped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally topped with more grated cheese and lemon zest for extra flavor.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water carefully; it helps loosen the sauce and binds it to the pasta.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan or a good quality vegetarian hard Italian cheese for best flavor.
- Adjust chili flakes to your preferred spice level.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the pasta at its best texture and flavor.
- You can substitute linguine with any long pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
