CREAMY LINGUINE AL LIMONE
This creamy Linguine al Limone pairs fresh lemon zest, basil, and parmesan with a velvety cream sauce for a simple yet elegant pasta. Inspired by Italy’s Amalfi Coast, it’s ready in just 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Large Pot for Cooking Pasta
- Lemon Zester
- Tongs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Lemon-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - See notes below for link to recipe
- 2 Tablespoons Shallot, minced
- 1 Lemon, zested
- 15 Basil leaves, separated
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- ¾ teaspoon Salt - + 1 ½ T for pasta water
- 16 oz Linguine Pasta
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated - + more for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 16-20 cups water (4-5 quarts) to a rolling boil.
- Add 1 - 1 ½ T sea salt and the dry pasta and cook 2 minutes LESS than the instructions on the label
- While the water is boiling and pasta is cooking, let’s make the sauce!
- In large saucepan, heat EVOO on medium heat for 2 minutes
- Roughly tear 5 basil leaves and add to the pan, along with minced shallot and lemon zest, Heat 2 minutes.
- Add white wine and let evaporate by heating 2 minutes
- Whisk in cream and bring to a boil.
- Add salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4-5 minutes.
- Roughly tear the remaining basil leaves and add to the pan along with the parmesan cheese.
- Once pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Then drain the pasta.
- Add pasta to lemon cream sauce, with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water
- With tongs, gently toss to combine, and cook 2 minutes until linguine is coated with sauce and fully cooked. If needed, add the remaining ¼ cup reserved pasta water.
- Buon Appetito!
Notes
Infusion Instructions, Serving Notes, and Tips:
- Once plated, serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and ground pepper.
- See post on how to make lemon-infused olive oil here: Everyday EVOO Infusions
- When zesting lemons, do it before cutting or juicing — it’s much easier to handle. And for even more flavor in this dish, zest your lemon straight over the pot so the natural oils fall right into the sauce.