I’ll never forget the first time I tasted an authentic lemon pasta recipe. Not to be too dramatic, but my life has never been the same.
It was my first time in Italy, and I was staying at the Hotel Santa Caterina on the Amalfi Coast.
With a sea breeze lightly blowing through their open-air Restaurant Al Mare, I ordered Pasta al Limone Sfusato di Amalfi, a spaghetti tossed in a cream sauce made with the enormous lemons that grow in the Amalfi Coast region.
I could have eaten 4 plates of it.
And this is one of the main reasons why I love to travel: the delicious art of discovering new flavors and food.
Back home, one of the first things I did was figure out how to recreate it. The result of that process was this: Best Pasta Al Limone Recipe | An Amalfi Style Lemon Cream Sauce Worth the Calories.
Yum! I could basically eat it every day. However, it is loaded with the decadent goodness that is heavy whipping cream.
So, for those times when I’m craving the zesty flavor but don’t want the richness, I adapted this lighter lemon pasta recipe without cream. While I eat it year-round, this bright lemon pasta is particularly tasty in the spring and summer months.
Planning a trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast? Be sure to check out The Ultimate Amalfi Coast Travel Guide: 6 Top Tips for Exploring Italy’s Most Iconic Coast.
How to Make This Lemon Pasta Recipe
In a large stockpot, boil the water for the pasta. Salt the water well. (I typically add in a tablespoon of salt for every 4 oz of pasta I’m cooking). Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan or a large frying pan. Finely chop the shallot and add to the pan when the olive oil is hot.
Season with salt and pepper and saute the shallots for 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice, then stir to combine.
When the pasta has finished cooking, grab a pair of tongs and begin quickly lifting out the pasta and adding it to the pan along with plenty of pasta water.
The starchy pasta water adds additional flavor and volume to the sauce. A rough estimate would be 1 tbsp of pasta water for every 4 ounces of pasta you make.
Toss the pasta in the sauce over medium-high heat, then add the parmesan. Cook until the parmesan has melted and thickened the sauce.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and top with additional parmesan. Serve immediately.
Best Lemon Pasta Recipe (No Cream)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This zesty lemon pasta recipe is made without cream, making it the perfect dish for spring & summer months, or when you’re craving a taste of Italy.
Ingredients
16 ounces spaghetti or fettuccine noodles
Salt
Pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
4 tsp minced garlic
Zest of 2 lemons
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to finish, freshly grated, plus more for topping the pasta
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, boil the water for the pasta. Salt the water well. (I typically add in a tablespoon of salt for every 4 oz of pasta I’m cooking). Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan or a large frying pan. Finely chop the shallot and add to the pan when the olive oil is hot. Season with salt and pepper and saute the shallots for 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice, then stir to combine.
- When the pasta has finished cooking, grab a pair of tongs and begin quickly lifting out the pasta and adding it to the pan along with plenty of pasta water. The starchy pasta water adds additional flavor and volume to the sauce. A rough estimate would be 1 tbsp of pasta water for every 4 ounces of pasta you make.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce over medium-high heat, then add the parmesan. Cook until the parmesan has melted and thickened the sauce.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and top with additional parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If the sauce is too “lemony” for your taste, just cut down on the amount of lemon juice.
- If you’d like a heartier meal, this sauce is also delicious with ravioli or tortellini.
Nutrition
- Calories: 625
Tried this recipe? I would love to hear from you! If you have a moment, please leave a star rating and drop me a comment below. Thanks!
Fantastic recipe! I love how the lemon shines through without any cream.
I really like the zestiness without the cream. It’s nice for a light summer dinner.
The lemon gives this such a bright and fresh flavor. Can’t wait to go to Amalfi, but until then, love having some Amalfi style food at home.
I was skeptical about a no-cream pasta, cause I love alfredo-style, but this was a nice change of pace. The cream based pastas are still my favorite but it’s nice to lighten it up once in a while.
This lemon pasta is sooo good. I added a bit of grilled chicken to it.
Absolutely loved this recipe! The lemon flavor is so refreshing and the absence of cream makes it feel so light.