Fresh Lemon and Chile Pasta
Updated March 13, 2025
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1pound long pasta, such as spaghetti or bucatini
- 5tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1small green chile, such as serrano, thinly sliced
- 1lemon
- ½cup heavy cream
- 2cups finely grated Parmesan (3½ ounces), plus more for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
757 calories; 33 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 489 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt. Cook the pasta until a bit firmer than al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. (It’ll finish cooking in the sauce.) Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain.
- Step 2
While the water comes to a boil, add the butter to another large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic, chile and 1 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened slightly and the whole mixture is incredibly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Zest the lemon into the pot (reserve the lemon), then pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Season with salt and bring to a gentle simmer over medium.
- Step 3
Add the drained pasta and 1 cup of the pasta water to the pot. Cook, tossing often with tongs while gradually sprinkling in the Parmesan, 2 to 3 minutes. The cheese will melt, and the sauce will become creamy and cling to the pasta. It should be saucy because it will thicken as it cools. If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Step 4
Turn off the heat, and halve the zested lemon. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon half into the pot. Taste a noodle or two and add more juice from the remaining lemon half if you’d like more tang. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Divide among shallow bowls or plates. Sprinkle with Parmesan and pepper, then pluck any chile slices clinging to the pot and serve them on top.
Private Notes
Comments
Made this tonight as written, except added an extra clove of garlic, and also some cooked shrimp at the end for protein--phenomenal! We all enjoyed it. Not too hot but a nice, notable kick. P.S. I never bother draining pasta for these types of dishes by pouring it into a colander over the sink. I just grab the pasta from the pot with tongs (or a skimmer, for cut pasta) and put it directly into the sauce. Can still add pasta water as needed, but this way's quicker and creates fewer dirty dishes.
Made this for the first time last summer on Fire Island for a house full of seven gay men (who are not known for their affinity for carbs and fat) using bucatini noodles. Doubled the recipe and cooked exactly as written. After nearly everyone had seconds, there wasn’t a noodle to spare. Now part of my rotation at home.
I would try this with an emulsion of oil and pasta water rather than cream, which upsets my stomach when cooked.
Absolutely fantastic. Made the recipe nearly exactly as written (had to swap a Fresno for Serrano pepper) and it was excellent. As someone else pointed out, the effort to taste ratio is highly favorable!
I made this using pecorino romano cheese and it didn't emulsify properly. Would it have worked better with parmesan?
Made this at a VRBO house with inadequate pots, pans, and utensils--plus forgot to save the two cups of pasta water. Sticky but still delicious. So, obviously, hard to mess up.