Lemon Butter Pasta

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

Lemon butter pasta with a frozen lemon technique — grate a whole frozen lemon into hot butter for twice the lemon flavor. 25 minutes, vegetarian.

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Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti or other long pasta
½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
4 cloves garlic minced
1 medium lemon frozen whole
1 medium lemon juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

At least 8 hours before cooking, place 1 whole unwaxed lemon in a zip-lock bag and freeze solid. Do not thaw before using.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant but not browned, 1–2 minutes.
Working quickly over the skillet, grate the frozen lemon on a microplane directly into the butter — peel, pith, flesh, and all. Rotate the lemon as you go.

The seeds are too hard to pass through the grater, so get close but just skip when you get to the center and discard the rest.

Keep grating until you're left with a small nub too small to hold safely (you'll use about 90% of the lemon). Then add the fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute until bubbling and fragrant.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly.
Add pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, tossing continuously, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the pasta. You may not need all of it.
Remove from heat. Add the Parmesan and toss constantly until melted and fully incorporated. Season with salt and red pepper flakes if using.
Transfer to serving bowls. Top with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Use unwaxed lemons for the frozen lemon! Organic lemons are typically unwaxed so that's ideal when you're grating the entire peel into the sauce. Check the label or ask at the store.

Freezing ruptures the cells in the peel, releasing more essential oils than zesting alone. Grate frozen — peel, pith, and all — directly into hot butter. The pith, normally bitter, mellows when frozen and adds body. The fresh lemon juice goes in separately for brightness.

Other Tips:

Don't brown the garlic — fragrant and soft is the goal.
Reserve pasta water before draining — the starch is what makes the sauce glossy and clingy.
Toss constantly while adding cheese to prevent clumping.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days; sauce may separate when reheated.

Reheating: Stovetop with a splash of water or butter over medium-low heat, tossing until warmed through. Microwave works but texture won't be as silky.

Nutrition