Pasta Limone

4.85 from 13 reviews

This recipe uses only lemon juice, salt, butter, and pasta water (the liquid gold that binds everything together). It takes 15 minutes from start to finish, and what's better than a speedy fast meal!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy pasta, lemon pasta, lemon recipe, pasta dish, pasta recipe

Servings:

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

salt
350 grams spaghetti 3/4 pound, or any variety
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
2 lemons juiced
3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano grated (use a high-quality block of Parmigiano), to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water as this is your only chance to flavor it—the water should be as salty as the sea.
Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. This should take about 10 minutes but please cook the pasta to your desired doneness.
Using tongs, transfer the cooked spaghetti to a clean pot. Add the cubed butter and a small ladle or two of the pasta-cooking water. Add the lemon juice (removing any pits, as necessary).
Using tongs or a wooden spoon, stir the pasta in a circular motion until the butter has melted and you are left with a beautiful butter-lemon sauce at the bottom of the pot.
Traditionally this pasta is served on oven-safe plates warmed briefly in a low oven. This helps keeps the pasta warm after serving, but this is optional.
Once the pasta is plated, garnish with lots of freshly finely grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="m08CN3iK" upload-date="2025-02-18T00:00:00.000Z" name="Pasta Limone" description="This Pasta Limone is one of my favorite pasta dishes. If you’ve been to Lil’ Frankie’s in NYC’s East Village Dinner — Lil’ Frankie’s (lilfrankies.com), you’ve probably tried their iconic Spaghetti Limone. This recipe is by Frank Prisinzano and after making it, you will quickly understand how it came to be such a famous dish. This pasta is on repeat at my home—it’s easy, ? quick, and uses just a few basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand. This recipe has always reminded me of the OG Italian “Alfredo” or “pasta al burro” which simply consists of butter, Parmigiano, and pasta water. The addition of ? lemons in this dish makes me feel as if I am sitting on the coast of Positano with a glass of wine in hand."]

Nutrition