The Pioneer Woman’s Lemon Pasta is a bright and cheery meal that’s ready in only 20 minutes. The Pecorino Romano cheese adds a rich, salty note to the dish’s smooth pepper, garlic, and herb blend.

You may eat the lemon spaghetti as is or spice it up by adding meat or vegetables. This is the ultimate dish for a weekday supper that tastes like you spent a fortune on it.

What Is Lemon Pasta (Pasta Al Limone)?

Pasta al Limone, or lemon pasta, is made by tossing long, silky pasta like spaghetti with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and grated cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano. Depending on where you are and what your own tastes are, you may want to try adding some garlic, heavy cream, or white wine.

Since this recipe calls for olive oil, sometimes butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest, the sauce is thickened by emulsifying the starchy pasta water with the lemon sauce. Instead of using butter, olive oil, and starchy pasta water as the foundation of the sauce, heavy cream is used.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It Thickens Naturally. It’s not necessary to use a lot of creams. The emulsion is responsible for the creation of the deliciously slurpable lemony pasta sauce. Because the pasta is cooked with less water, the resulting liquid is more concentrated in starch. Then, the cream is replaced with a rich blend of olive oil and butter, and the starchy cooking water from the pasta is added to thicken the sauce without masking its bright lemon taste.
• It’s Flawlessly Balanced. This lemon spaghetti is more delicious than the sum of its components, so don’t let its seeming simplicity fool you. Of course, I couldn’t just make a serving of plain lemon pasta and call it a day. Pasta al Limone, on the other hand, strikes a delectable middle ground between the two extremes. With its silky, comforting richness from the olive oil, butter, and plentiful cheese offset by the brightness of fresh, bright, sunny citrus, and rounded out with zingy garlic, chili pepper heat, freshly cracked pepper, fresh basil, and parsley.
• Pasta Al Limone May Be Made By Anybody. Create a luscious, emulsified, lemon-scented sauce by boiling lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, olive oil, garlic, capers, freshly cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes for a couple of minutes, then whisking in the starchy pasta water. A quick toss in the pasta and a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese, and you have yourself some slurp-worthy, silky, tangy comfort food.
• It’s Quite Adaptable. This lemon pasta dish is a versatile canvas that works well on its own or when paired with other flavors and ingredients.

Pioneer Woman Lemon Pasta Ingredients

• Spaghetti. In this case, I used classic spaghetti, although linguine and whole wheat or gluten-free types are all viable options. In this case, I would not use a shorter type of pasta. In order to emulsify the sauce and prevent any of it from sticking to the pan’s heated surface for too long, you’ll need a long, smooth spaghetti that you can scrape from the bottom of the pan like a mop.
• Lemons. This spaghetti gets its zingy lemony taste from the juice and zest of 2 medium lemons. In order to get the most flavor out of your grated lemon zest, use unwaxed lemons and always wash your lemons before you start. To get extra juice out of your lemons, try rolling them on the counter before you juice them.
• Cheese. High-quality aged pecorino romano is superior to parmesan when it comes to flavor when used in lemon pasta. You may find Pecorino romano in the cheese section of your supermarket.
• Olive Oil. For maximum taste, cook with extra-virgin olive oil. In general, the better the oil, the better the flavor. Adding olive oil to the butter while sautéing the spices and garlic amps up the taste and keeps the butter from browning.
• Butter. Adds a lovely buttery flavor to the pasta. If the recipe calls for butter, use unsalted butter or reduce the amount of salt.
• Capers. are not required but provide a lot of flavor with their saline, acidic, lemony bursts. They are typically shelved beside the olives in supermarket stores.
• Garlic. Some traditional pasta al Limone recipes call for this fragrant, while others do not; yet, I would never prepare the dish without it. The tangy, garlicky flavor of lemon butter comes through, thanks to the perfect pairing of lemon and garlic. You can use a few cloves if you want a milder flavor, but I find that 6–8 cloves give the best flavor.
• Pepper. Black pepper that has been freshly cracked adds an incomparable flavor that can’t be achieved with ground pepper. The amount of pepper you use is a matter of personal preference; I use around 40 grinds.
• Red Pepper Flakes. Only a quarter of a teaspoon is needed to enhance the dish’s taste without adding heat.
• Herbs. The sauce is given more flavor with a combination of fresh and dried parsley, basil, and oregano.

How To Make Pioneer Woman Lemon Pasta

• In a large Dutch oven, add about 2 quarts (8 cups) of water (or a stockpot wide enough to fit spaghetti). Because we want the water to be highly starchy, it will be quite shallow. Bring to a boil, covered. Remove the lid and whisk in 1 tablespoon salt before adding the pasta.
• Cook, uncovered, until pasta is almost al dente (it will continue cooking in the sauce), stirring often. Before draining the pasta, save 1 cup of water (do not rinse the pasta – we want all of the starch).
• Meanwhile, heat a big braiser (like this one) or saucepan over medium heat. Combine the olive oil, butter, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked pepper in a mixing bowl. Cook for a few minutes, or until the mixture is quite aromatic. Remove from the fire and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, and salt to taste.
• Return the garlic-lemon mixture to medium heat once the pasta has been cooked and drained. 1/3 cup pasta water, whisked in
• Combine the drained pasta, basil, parsley, and cheese in a mixing bowl. Toss to coat, adding more saved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time as required to moisten, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked al dente.
• Remove from the fire and top with freshly grated cheese and salt & pepper to taste.

What To Serve With Lemon Pasta?

• Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
• Pesto
• Breadsticks
• Stuffed Tomatoes
• Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Carrots
• Summer Panzanella
• Baked Broccoli

Recipe Variations

• Lemon Pasta With Shrimp. After the pasta has finished cooking, add roasted shrimp or butter garlic shrimp and toss to combine.
• Do Not Forget The Vegetables. Make the lemon pasta dish more filling by adding roasted or sautéed veggies. Think. Vegetables like zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, little peas, green beans, wilted spinach, and so on.
• Add Some Creaminess. Add heavy cream in place of olive oil and the pasta water you set aside.
• Adjust The Garlic Level To Taste. If you’re a garlic aficionado, add 8 or more cloves. If you want to minimize the garlic flavor, use simply a couple of cloves.
• Make It More Lemony. The lemon taste in this dish is already rather strong, but you may boost it by adding more lemon zest. Extra lemon juice may cause the sauce to become too thin.
• Lemon Pasta With Salmon. Add some salmon and lemon pepper to your pasta, or use this dish as a starting point for your own creation.

How To Store Lemon Pasta?

• In The Fridge. Keep any leftover pasta with lemon sauce in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container.
• In The Freezer. Because it does not include any dairy, this lemon pasta may be frozen for later use. The dish should be allowed to cool fully before being transferred to an airtight container or freezer bag, and the air squeezed out. Put it in the freezer for at least three months. The best way to reheat something frozen is to let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
• To Make Ahead. It is possible to make this lemon pasta dish in its entirety or in part ahead of time. You may zest and juice the lemons three days ahead of time. Fresh herbs can be chopped up to one day ahead of time and kept in an airtight jar in the refrigerator; likewise, grated pecorino romano can be refrigerated until ready to use.
• To Reheat. Warm your lemon spaghetti in 30-second increments, starting with 1 minute, stirring after each, in the microwave. Reheat lemon pasta over medium-low heat, stirring periodically, if serving a crowd. If the pasta feels too dry, you may always add a little water.

My Personal Recipe Tips

• Get The Greatest Results By Using Freshly Grated Cheese. Pre-grated cheese is covered with chemicals to keep it from clumping, so I wouldn’t advocate buying it. It lacks the depth of flavor and sometimes has a “waxy” aftertaste. Use pecorino romano cheese if you can get it; if not, use more parmesan.
• Use Less Water While Cooking Pasta. A big dutch oven is ideal for pasta since its depth can be adjusted to accommodate the spaghetti’s length while it cooks, reducing the amount of water needed. This will increase the starch content of the water, resulting in a thick, glossy lemon sauce.
• While Cooking Pasta, Stir It Often To Prevent It From Sticking. Keep stirring the spaghetti often, so it doesn’t stick because we’re using less water than usual.
• Cook The Pasta Until It’s Al Dente. Pasta should be cooked for a couple of minutes shorter than recommended on the box until it has a small “bite” to it but is otherwise soft. The lemon sauce is used during the last stages of cooking.
• Adjust The Seasonings To Your Liking. It’s crucial that you follow the instructions carefully if you want to get the best results from this recipe. It’s possible that you’ll want to season your dish with more salt, pepper, or cheese. Adaptability will be required of you, so get ready for that.

Try More Recipes:

• Pasta Primavera Jamie Oliver
• Ina Garten Pasta Salad with Broccoli

Pioneer Woman Lemon Pasta Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 111
• Total Fat 2.5g
• Saturated Fat 0.5g
• Cholesterol 1.8mg
• Sodium 60.3mg
• Potassium 286.1mg
• Total Carbohydrate 17.6g
• Dietary Fiber 2.9g
• Sugars 1.2g
• Protein 7.1g
• Vitamin A 1%
• Vitamin C 5%
• Calcium 6%
• Iron 22%

Nutrition Facts Source: Source