Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone)
A silky, bright lemon pasta made with vegan butter, fresh lemon, and vegan parmesan. It is creamy without any cream and ready in about 15 minutes, with the sauce coming together while the pasta cooks.
Servings 4
Calories 679kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 5 tbsp vegan butter divided
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon zest plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup grated vegan parmesan plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water ladled straight from the pot
- 1/4 tsp salt plus more for the pasta water
- Black pepper to taste
- Handful of fresh basil leaves torn, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until just al dente.
- While the spaghetti cooks, set a heatproof metal bowl directly on top of the same pot. Add 4 tablespoons of the vegan butter and the olive oil and let the steam heat melt them together. No heatproof bowl? Make the sauce in a small pan or pot over medium-low heat instead.
- Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vegan parmesan until smooth.
- Ladle about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water straight from the pot into the sauce, mixing constantly, until it is silky and creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Drain the al dente spaghetti and add it to a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon vegan butter and a handful of torn basil. Pour over most of the sauce and toss until glossy and well coated.
- Serve topped with the remaining sauce, extra basil, more lemon zest, vegan parmesan, and a final crack of black pepper.
Notes
- Ladle the starchy cooking water straight from the pot while the pasta is still boiling. That starch is what makes the sauce creamy, so there is no need to reserve water separately.
- No heatproof bowl for the over-the-pot method? Build the sauce in a small pan or pot over medium-low heat instead.
- To keep it gluten-free, use a gluten-free spaghetti and follow the recipe as written.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat with a splash of water or plant milk to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 679kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 735IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 2mg