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Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone)

5 from 6 votes
A plate of dairy free creamy lemon pasta.
This creamy lemon pasta is an easy, 15-minute meal great for busy weeknights and something the whole family will love. This adaptable recipe is dairy-free with a gluten-free option.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Serving Size 2

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces long pasta noodles such as spaghetti or bucatini
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • lemon zest from 1 large lemon about 1 ½ tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter
  • ½ cup cashew cream
  • salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • lemon zest for topping
  • fresh basil or parsley to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Cook the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. (It'll continue to cook further in the pan in the sauce.) Reserve one cup of the pasta water.
  • Remove the zest of one large lemon and squeeze out the juice yielding to 2 tablespoons. Set the lemon juice aside.
  • Add the olive oil and lemon zest to a large warm skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes before adding in the dairy-free butter and cashew cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir or whisk until combined.
  • Using tongs transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet (it's perfectly fine if some excess water clings to the noodles) along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water.
  • Toss the noodles throughout the sauce until the noodles are well coated, adding more pasta water as needed. The sauce will seize up as it cools, so use a little more than you think. Add in the fresh lemon juice, and season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Serve with more freshly zested lemon and fresh basil or parsley to garnish.

Notes

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Make it gluten-free - use your favorite gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
Make it nut-free - use full-fat coconut cream.
Not dairy-free? - use regular butter and dairy cream instead.
No fresh basil? - sub fresh parsley.
See blog post for variations.