The REAL Lemon & Butter Pasta
The REAL Lemon & Butter Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 4 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 pound spaghettini, or spaghetti
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 2 tablespoon pieces
- 1 cup Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish, or other green leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- 1
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove large strips of zest from 1 of the lemons, avoiding the white pith. Place these lemon zest strips into a medium-sized copper pot or saucepan.
⏱️ 2 min
- 2
Pour 4 cups of water into the pot with the lemon zest. Place the pot on a stovetop burner over high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil. Stir the boiling water and lemon zest occasionally with a wooden spoon.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Once the lemon zest water is boiling, carefully transfer about 2 cups of this 'lemon tea' into a shallow silver pan or large skillet placed on another stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Reserve the remaining lemon tea in the copper pot, keeping it warm over low heat.
⏱️ 1 min
- 4
Add the spaghettini directly into the hot 'lemon tea' in the silver pan. Use a wooden spoon or tongs to gently press the spaghetti down, ensuring it is fully submerged in the liquid. If needed, add a little more hot lemon tea from the reserved pot to cover the pasta. Allow the spaghetti to cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until it is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on the pasta thickness. Add additional hot lemon tea, 1/4 cup at a time, if the pan becomes too dry before the pasta is cooked.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Once the pasta is nearly cooked, add two 2-tablespoon pieces of unsalted butter to the pan. Use tongs to mix the melting butter into the spaghetti, coating all the strands.
⏱️ 1 min
- 6
Grate a generous amount (about 1 cup) of Parmigiano cheese directly into the pan with the spaghetti and butter. Using tongs and the wooden spoon, thoroughly mix the cheese and butter into the spaghetti until a creamy sauce forms and coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved hot lemon tea.
⏱️ 2 min
- 7
Using tongs and a large wooden spoon, carefully twirl a portion of the cooked spaghetti and place it neatly in a mound on each serving plate. Drizzle any remaining sauce from the pan over the plated pasta.
⏱️ 2 min
- 8
Take the remaining fresh lemon and use a citrus zester to create small curls of fresh lemon zest directly over the top of each plated pasta dish. Add a few small fresh basil leaves next to the pasta for garnish. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top of each serving. Serve immediately with extra grated Parmigiano cheese on the side, if desired.
⏱️ 2 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
The REAL Lemon & Butter Pasta
- 2 lemons
- 4 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 pound spaghettini, or spaghetti
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 2 tablespoon pieces
- 1 cup Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish, or other green leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- 1
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove large strips of zest from 1 of the lemons, avoiding the white pith. Place these lemon zest strips into a medium-sized copper pot or saucepan.
⏱️ 2 min - 2
Pour 4 cups of water into the pot with the lemon zest. Place the pot on a stovetop burner over high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil. Stir the boiling water and lemon zest occasionally with a wooden spoon.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Once the lemon zest water is boiling, carefully transfer about 2 cups of this 'lemon tea' into a shallow silver pan or large skillet placed on another stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Reserve the remaining lemon tea in the copper pot, keeping it warm over low heat.
⏱️ 1 min - 4
Add the spaghettini directly into the hot 'lemon tea' in the silver pan. Use a wooden spoon or tongs to gently press the spaghetti down, ensuring it is fully submerged in the liquid. If needed, add a little more hot lemon tea from the reserved pot to cover the pasta. Allow the spaghetti to cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until it is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on the pasta thickness. Add additional hot lemon tea, 1/4 cup at a time, if the pan becomes too dry before the pasta is cooked.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Once the pasta is nearly cooked, add two 2-tablespoon pieces of unsalted butter to the pan. Use tongs to mix the melting butter into the spaghetti, coating all the strands.
⏱️ 1 min - 6
Grate a generous amount (about 1 cup) of Parmigiano cheese directly into the pan with the spaghetti and butter. Using tongs and the wooden spoon, thoroughly mix the cheese and butter into the spaghetti until a creamy sauce forms and coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved hot lemon tea.
⏱️ 2 min - 7
Using tongs and a large wooden spoon, carefully twirl a portion of the cooked spaghetti and place it neatly in a mound on each serving plate. Drizzle any remaining sauce from the pan over the plated pasta.
⏱️ 2 min - 8
Take the remaining fresh lemon and use a citrus zester to create small curls of fresh lemon zest directly over the top of each plated pasta dish. Add a few small fresh basil leaves next to the pasta for garnish. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top of each serving. Serve immediately with extra grated Parmigiano cheese on the side, if desired.
⏱️ 2 min