Whenever you travel to Italy, you should always focus on eating the dishes native to that region. Carbonara and cacio e pepe in Rome. Bolognese in Bologna. Bistecca alla Fiorentina in Florence. Spaghetti al limone made from famous Amalfi lemons in the Amalfi Coast. But since I have yet to actually make it to southern Italy despite spending my past 2 summers exploring Italy, I’m making my spaghetti al limone at home as a means of hopefully manifesting an Amalfi Coast trip for next summer (and by summer, I mean September when it’s less hot and crowded).
Spaghetti al limone is a classic pasta dish that pairs bright, citrusy flavors with the nutty and sharp bite of Parmigiano Reggiano, though I’ve seen some recipes that use its saltier cousin, Pecorino Romano. It’s insanely easy to make with just a few ingredients, as besides the lemon and cheese, you only need butter, salt and pepper to make it complete, though I personally like to add fresh parsley for even more peppery flavor. Some recipes will also use heavy cream for the sauce, but all you really need is starchy pasta water to emulsify with the butter and cheese to make a perfectly glossy, creamy sauce.
Besides a pot and skillet, the only kitchen tool you need for this recipe is a microplane to zest your lemons and grate your cheese. If you don’t already own a microplane though, I would highly recommend getting an OXO Box Grater with a built-in zester. It takes up less storage space than if you had both a box grater and microplane, and it has a built-in measuring cup with a lid so you can grate your cheese directly into the measuring cup, both to measure and store the grated cheese or whatever you’re grating.
Now if you want to get fancy, you can also use a meat fork to twirl the pasta inside a ladle, which will form a perfect little mountain of pasta like they do in restaurants. But whether you plate your spaghetti al limone like a pro or eat it straight out of the pan, you’re in for a delicious treat that’s ready in less than 15 minutes.
Spaghetti al Limone
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti or your choice of pasta
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, more for garnish
- Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Zest the lemons and grate your cheese with a microplane – I like using my OXO Box Grater with built-in zester for this recipe
- Boil water in a pot, then add a generous amount of salt (water should taste salty) and cook pasta to 2 minutes less than al dente according to package instructions
- 1-2 minutes before the pasta is ready, melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until softened and fragrant.
- Add the lemon zest then use a pasta scoop or tongs to transfer pasta directly into the skillet, adding another 1/2 cup of pasta water, lemon juice, and Parmigiano.
- Toss and stir the pasta to emulsify the sauce until it thickens to a glossy, creamy sauce, seasoning with lots of fresh ground pepper, plus more salt, Parmigiano, and/or lemon zest to taste.
- Optional: twirl the pasta using a meat fork in a ladle to form a perfect mound of pasta and transfer to your plate.
- Plate the pasta and garnish with more Parmigiano, fresh ground pepper and parsley. Enjoy!
