Description
A cozy and celebratory one-pan pasta dish with a glossy lemony Parmesan sauce, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces (340 g) spaghetti or your pasta of choice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1½–2 teaspoons)
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 100 g), plus extra for serving
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Optional: Red pepper flakes (for a spicy kick)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes for spaghetti), reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and melt until foaming.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant — don’t let it brown.
- Remove the skillet from the heat briefly and stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan and toss vigorously to combine, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time to create a glossy sauce.
- Season with salt and black pepper, taste and adjust as needed.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if using, plus extra grated Parmesan at the table.
Notes
For a lighter version, swap butter for olive oil and reduce Parmesan to 3/4 cup. Keep the sauce creamy by adding pasta water gradually.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 60mg