Lemon Pasta
- Doug Heilman
- Mar 2
- 2 min read
My Lemon Pasta is a ‘winning recipe’ at home and on TV, that just happens to be meatless. This dish is my husband Greg’s favorite, and a judges’ favorite from season three of The Great American Recipe on PBS.
Ingredients:
16 ounces Spaghetti, or any long shaped dry pasta
1-2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2-3 Lemons, zested and juiced
4-6 Garlic cloves, sliced thinly
4 tablespoons Olive oil
1/2 cup Julienned Sun dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Butter
2 ounces Grated Grana Padano cheese, plus more for serving
Fresh basil (or thyme leaves) for serving
Ground Black pepper for serving
Instructions:
Remove as much zest from the lemons as possible (1-2 tablespoons), then juice the lemons (about 1/2 - 2/3 cup of fresh juice). Add both zest and juice to a small bowl, and set aside for later.
Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves, then place garlic in a small microwave safe bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant. After microwaving, add the crushed red pepper flakes and sun-dried tomatoes to the garlic oil mixture, and set aside.
Bringing 2 to 3 quarts of water to boil in a large stock pot. Once water is at a boil, add the kosher salt, then the pasta. Cook pasta less than package directions, usually two minutes under the lower number on the package. Near the end of cooking, reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse with any fresh water.
Working quickly and using the same warm pot that the pasta cooked in, add the olive oil garlic mixture to the pot, and cook on a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook until it completely evaporates. Add the pasta back to the pot along with half a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and the lemon juice & zest. Cook 1-2 minutes more. Along the way, add a bit more pasta water to maintain a saucy consistency.
Off heat, add the butter to the pasta and stir vigorously until completely melted. Add the cheese and again stir vigorously until incorporated, adding more pasta water to keep a saucy consistency. A smooth sauce will form as the cheese and butter emulsify together.
Serve immediately, garnished with more grated cheese, torn fresh basil, and cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
Video: Lemon Pasta
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