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Close-up of creamy lemon linguine pasta al limone garnished with sage in a blue-rimmed bowl.
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5 from 1 vote

Pasta Al Limone (Easy & Super Creamy)

Pasta al limone is a classic Italian lemon pasta made with butter, lemon zest, and starchy pasta water. The result is a delicious, fresh super creamy lemon sauce that coats long pasta strands without a single drop of cream.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Svi

Ingredients

  • 200 g linguine or spaghetti (about 7 oz)
  • 60 g butter (about 4 tbsp)
  • Zest of 1 lemon (plus a squeeze of juice, optional)
  • 4-5 fresh sage leaves fresh or dried, sub with basil if needed or skip entirely
  • Salt and black pepper , to taste
  • Grated Parmesan , for serving

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until very al dente — about 2–3 minutes short of the package time. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat along with sage leaves. Cook gently until the butter turns light golden watching closely so it doesn't burn.
    Melting butter with fresh sage leaves in a pan for pasta al limone.
  • Once butter is almost ready, add lemon zest.
    Adding lemon zest to foaming sage butter in a pan for pasta al limone.
  • Lift the pasta straight into the pan (or drain, reserving the water).
    Lifting cooked spaghetti out of the pot on a spider strainer for pasta al limone.
  • Add generous splash of pasta cooking water.
    Pouring starchy pasta cooking water into the lemon butter and linguine in a pan.
  • Toss constantly for about 2 minutes, adding more pasta water a splash at a time, until the sauce turns creamy and glossy and coats every strand. Season with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you'd like a sharper flavor.
    Tossing spaghetti with tongs in the pan to emulsify the pasta al limone sauce.
  • Serve immediately, with all the extra sauce from the pan. Serve it plain or with a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.
    Pouring creamy lemon sauce over a plate of linguine.

Notes

  • Salt the pasta water well — it should taste like a light broth. It's your only chance to season the pasta, and it helps the sauce emulsify.
  • Pull the pasta early — cook it 2–3 minutes short of the package time. It finishes cooking in the pan, so fully-cooked pasta ends up mushy.
  • Don't drain — lift. Use a spaghetti spoon so you keep the pot of cooking water. Sauce too thick? A splash more. Too loose? Toss a little longer.
  • Don't rush the butter. Melt it slowly over medium heat until golden — that's where the flavor is. Too high and it burns in seconds.
  • Toss constantly. The creaminess comes from movement; tossing emulsifies the butter and starch into a proper sauce.
  • Serve immediately. The sauce is silkiest straight from the pan and gets absorbed as it sits.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.1g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.02mg