Description
This quick and creamy lemon pasta is a refreshing 20-minute meal featuring wide pappardelle noodles enveloped in a zesty lemon garlic sauce. Made with simple ingredients like heavy cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, fresh lemon, and olive oil, it’s a delightfully easy and comforting dinner that packs tons of flavor. Perfect for weeknights or any time you crave a taste of classic Italian comfort with a bright citrus twist.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta
- 2–4 tablespoons Kosher salt (for water)
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Lemon Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 3 oz.)
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt just before the pasta. Cook 1 pound of pappardelle according to the package’s al dente directions. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water and set aside.
- Start the Sauce: While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, until fragrant but not browned.
- Simmer Cream: Whisk in 2 cups of heavy cream and increase to medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to thicken slightly, simmering for a few minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t scorch.
- Add Cheese and Lemon: Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the finely shredded Parmesan cheese, then add the zest and juice of 2 lemons. Keep stirring gently until the cheese fully melts and the sauce becomes smooth. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta directly into the sauce. Pour in a splash or two of reserved pasta water and toss everything together over medium heat until the pasta is well coated and warmed through, adding more pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
- Finish and Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately, enjoying the creamy, lemony goodness.
Notes
- Always salt your pasta water well—it’s the key first step in building flavor.
- Be sure to reserve some pasta water before draining; its starch helps bind and thicken the sauce.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools. You can add a splash of cream or pasta water to loosen it if needed.
- This recipe makes a generous amount. Halve it easily if feeding a smaller group, but leftovers will keep deliciously for up to a week in the fridge.
- Leftover pasta can be revived with a bit of added cream or water when reheating.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of pasta + sauce
- Calories: 415
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 192.5 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.4 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 12.4 g
- Cholesterol: 49.2 mg
