How to Make Pasta al Limone
Pasta al limone is a quick and easy recipe that is refreshing and simple, but the mix of lemon and mint will take your tastebuds on an Italian Summer holiday! Keep this delicate dish from the south of Italy for a mid-week treat; add some Italian music in the background to spoil someone special and surprise yourself with this flavour bomb! Pasta al limone is a classic Italian dish that can be served as an appetiser or main course. Moreover, It’s made with spaghetti, pesto and lemon segments, making it a perfect light meal for warm summer nights.
Additionally, this pasta recipe is easy to make and requires only 15 minutes! This pasta dish is delicious and anyone can enjoy it. Not only does it take less than an hour to make, but it also tastes fantastic! The combination of lemon and mint makes this pasta dish stand out. Pasta al limone is an easy recipe for all the family to enjoy on a hot summer day!
Watch Pasta al Limone Recipe:
How to Make Pasta al Limon Like an Italian
Vincenzo’s Top Tip To Make Pasta al Limone
Reserve pasta water
Be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining. This starchy water can thin out the sauce or help the sauce cling better to the pasta.
Add cheese gradually
When adding the grated Pecorino cheese, add it gradually while stirring continuously to avoid clumping and to ensure the sauce is smooth.
Adjust seasoning
Taste the sauce before adding salt and pepper, as the cheese may already be salty. Adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
Serve immediately
This dish is best served immediately after cooking while the sauce is still creamy and the pasta is hot. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can thin it out with some reserved pasta water.
Pasta al Limone
Equipment
- Lemon squeezer
- Zester Grater
- large pot for cooking pasta
- Chopping-board
- knife
- Large fry pan
- Mixing bowl
- fork
- Spoon
- Long set of tongs
Ingredients
- 300 grams Spaghetti 10.6oz. Use a dry, long pasta
- 2 Lemons organic is best
- Fresh mint leaves
- 5 L Water
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or 4 tablespoons of butter
- Pecorino cheese 300g/3cups
Instructions
- Pasta al limone is quick to make, so start by boiling the water in a large pot.
- Once the water boils, add a handful of rock salt and let it dissolve.
- Next, add the dry spaghetti for your pasta al limone into the pot and let it cook.
- Add 200g/2cups freshly grated pecorino cheese to a mixing bowl along with the zest of one large lemon.
- Add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your pan, along with the zest of one lemon – do this before putting the pan on the hot stove.
- Break a few pieces of fresh mint leaves (using your hands) into the pan.
- Now for your pasta al limone, you need lemon juice! Cut a lemon in half, and squeeze the juice from half of the lemon into the bowl and the other half in your pan.
- Place your pan onto the stove at a low temperature and add the pasta (once cooked al dente), then mix slightly.
- Next up, add 4 tablespons of pasta water into the bowl with the pecorino cheese, and whisk this using a fork.
- Now mix this through your pasta, helping it infuse using a set of tongs.
- To make the pasta al limone nice and creamy, grate a generous amount of pecorino cheese on top of the pasta and mix it through until it melts.
- Toss the pan if you can, otherwise just make sure there is enough cheese to create the creaminess you desire.
- Remove the pan from the stove.
- E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
Video
How to serve Pasta al Limone
Serve up a single portion of pasta on a flat coloured plate, grate some more pecorino cheese on top along with a small amount of fresh lemon zest, and add a couple of sprinkles of mint leaves.
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I liked this pasta so much, I made it today with our toddler ! We love lemons here, so we were generous with those (put 2 whole lemons) and reduced a bit the pecorino (only 150g), plus we added PLENTY of mint from our garden. This is a really classy dish to have on a hot day — it doesn’t fill you to the brim, and doesn’t feel hot. I loved it and will make it again soon.