Spaghetti Al Limone is a delicious, creamy lemon pasta recipe that is not only bright and tasty but it’s also quick and easy to make.
It features fresh ingredients that are readily available for an absolutely unforgettable dinner like my simple Spaghetti Aglio e Olio recipe.
This recipe gives you authentic Italian flavors with a lemony sauce without using any heavy cream. Try it for dinner tonight, and you might end up making it again tomorrow because it’s really that good!
What is Spaghetti Al Limone?
Spaghetti Al Limone is a delicious, easy-to-make Southern Italian pasta dish. It originated in Campania, in the Sorrento peninsula and Amalfi coast.
Literally, the Italian dish name translates to spaghetti with lemons. For this reason, lemon is definitely the star ingredient in this dish, giving the pasta a fresh, bright flavor with a zesty taste!
The recipe is a way to celebrate the beautiful, delicious lemons that Amalfi and Sorrento are both known for. Southern Italy is known for its lemons, but the ones from this region are by far the best.
To get the same delicious lemon flavor at home, try going for some unwaxed lemons for best results.
But as long as you wash your lemons properly, use only the yellow part of the lemon, and discard the white pith while grating, you should be good!
Pasta Al Limone is usually made with spaghetti, though fettuccine is another popular choice.
This delicious lemon pasta dish can brighten up your dinner or lunch. My recipe gives you the perfect, creamy consistency in your lemon sauce without the use of any heavy cream.
Trust me; you’re going to fall in love with it!
What You Need to Make Spaghetti Al Limone at Home
You only need some simple, pantry-staple ingredients to make this pasta dish at home easily. Here’s what you’ll need:
Spaghetti: It’s called Spaghetti Al Limone for a reason! We’ll be using some spaghetti to make this recipe, but you can also go for a Pasta Al Limone variation and use fettuccine or some other long pasta instead.
Garlic cloves: We’ll use a teaspoon of minced garlic to add a little garlic flavor to our lemon pasta and enhance the taste overall.
Fresh lemon juice: This recipe will need some freshly squeezed lemon juice. I don’t recommend going with bottled lemon juice as you won’t get the same flavor.
Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to get an authentic Italian flavor for your pasta dish.
Butter: We’ll be using some unsalted butter to sauté the garlic and add the lemon zest to it. It will give your lemony sauce a beautiful, silky sheen and flavor.
Salt and pepper: Season your pasta with some salt and lemon to taste.
Lemon zest: We’ll also be using some lemon zest to get a bright lemon flavor. You’ll need the zest of one lemon, which is about 2 teaspoons.
Parmesan cheese: This is another classic ingredient for this pasta dish! Parmesan cheese, or Parmigiano-Reggiano as the Italians call it, goes particularly well with the lemon flavor. In case you’re looking to use Pecorino instead, read my tips below to help adjust the salt levels.
Reserved pasta water: You’ll need to reserve a quarter to half cup of pasta water to use when making the dish. It’ll help the sauce perfectly coat your spaghetti noodle strands.
How to Make Spaghetti Al Limone Step by Step
Making Spaghetti Al Limone is incredibly easy. Here’s what you need to do step by step:
How to Boil Pasta for Spaghetti Al Limone
Do not add oil when boiling the pasta, especially for this dish, because you need the starch to stay on the pasta to help the sauce stick to it.
The best way to prevent the pasta from sticking together is to boil the pasta in a large pot of water to help it move in boiling water. You can use drained pasta within a few seconds from draining it.
Follow the cooking instructions on the pasta box. I prefer to cook the pasta three to four minutes more than the time mentioned on the box to get a slightly softer texture than al dente.
Feel free to adjust this according to the pasta you’re using and your preferences.
Once your spaghetti has boiled, reserve a quarter to half a cup of the pasta water on the side.
How to Make Spaghetti Al Limone
In a large pan, add the butter and olive oil; when the butter melts, add the minced garlic and stir for two seconds.
Add the lemon zest and cook on low heat for two seconds.
Pour the lemon juice, then add the black pepper and salt. Cook for a few seconds.
Add in the cooked spaghetti and mix well using some tongs, then add the parmesan cheese and mix well.
Finally, add the reserved pasta water and let the mixture simmer for a minute on medium-low.
When serving the dish, sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.
I serve this pasta dish with steak, grilled chicken, or shrimp, and it goes well with all three.
Your delicious Spaghetti Al Limone is ready to be served!
Tips for Making the Tastiest Spaghetti Al Limone
Making this pasta at home is a breeze, but here are some tips to make your life easier:
- Taste the lemon juice before adding it to the dish. Some lemons look good but have a slightly bitter taste.
- Properly wash the lemon before you grate it. Only grate and get the zest off the yellow part of the lemon; stop when you see the white part since it is bitter.
- You can use spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccini.
- Do not cook Spaghetti Al Limone on high heat. This will clump the cheese, and you won’t get a creamy texture sauce.
- You can use Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. However, when using Pecorino cheese, cut it to two tablespoons instead of three tablespoons since it has more salt than parmesan cheese.
- If you like herbs, you can garnish your pasta dish with some chopped fresh parsley before serving.
- This dish tastes better if it is served at least 10 to 15 minutes after preparation.
- Serve with extra parmesan cheese.
How to Store Leftovers
I recommend having this dish the day it is made for the best flavor and consistency of the sauce. But if you have some leftovers that you want to store, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day more.
More Pasta
Spaghetti Al Limone Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooked Spaghetti enough for three people
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest or a zest of one lemon
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pasta water
Instructions
COOKING THE PASTA
- Do not add oil when cooking the pasta especially for this dish, because you need the starch to stay on the pasta to help the sauce stick to it.
- The best way to prevent the pasta from sticking together is by cooking it in a lot of water to help it move when the water is boiling. You can also drain the pasta and use it within a few seconds from draining it.
- Follow the cooking instructions on the pasta box. I prefer to cook the pasta three to four minutes more than the time mentioned on the box.
- Keep quarter to half a cup from the pasta water on the side.
MAKING SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE
- In a large pan, add the butter and olive oil, when the butter melts add the minced garlic and stir for two seconds.
- Add the lemon zest and cook on low heat for two seconds.
- Pour the lemon juice, then add the black pepper and salt. Cook for a few seconds.
- Add in the cooked spaghetti and mix well using tongs, then add the parmesan cheese and mix well.
- Finally, add the pasta water and let the mixture cook for a minute on medium low.
- When serving the dish, sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.
- I serve this pasta dish with steak and grilled chicken it goes well with both.
Video
Notes
- Taste the lemon juice before adding it to the dish. Some lemons look good but have a slightly bitter taste.
- Properly wash the lemon before zesting it. Only zest the yellow part of the lemon; stop when you see the white part since it is bitter.
- You can use spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccini.
- This dish tastes better if it is served at least 10 to 15 minutes after preparation.
- Serve with extra parmesan cheese.
- You can use Parmesan or Pecorino cheese; however, when using Pecorino cheese instead of three tablespoons, cut it to two tablespoons since it has more salt than parmesan cheese.
- Do not cook spaghetti al Limone on high heat; this will clump the cheese, and you won’t get a creamy texture sauce.
- It’s best to consume this dish the day it is made, but if you want to store it, then do so by refrigerating it in an airtight container for not more than one day.
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