A simple, bright pasta tossed with plenty of butter, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. The delicate capellini absorbs the buttery lemon sauce beautifully, making this an easy side dish or light pasta course.
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| Lemon Capellini |
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried capellini
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, for the pasta water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Reserved pasta cooking water, as needed
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the olive oil.
- Add the capellini and cook for 3–4 minutes, or according to package directions, until al dente.
- Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a 12-inch stainless-steel skillet, combine the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring to combine.
- Drain the capellini and immediately add it to the skillet with the lemon-butter sauce.
- Toss thoroughly and allow the pasta to cook in the sauce for a minute or two so it absorbs some of the lemon-butter flavor.
- If the pasta seems dry, add a little reserved pasta water at a time and toss until the sauce lightly coats the strands.
- Divide among serving bowls and serve immediately.
Tip: Capellini cooks very quickly and continues to soften when tossed with the hot sauce, so drain it while it's still firmly al dente.
Note: If using fresh capellini or other fresh pasta, reduce the cooking time considerably. Fresh pasta may cook in only 1–2 minutes.
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