I really love the brightness of cooking with fresh lemon. It just makes you feel good when you are eating it. A simple side dish can bring so much flavor to a meal, and this recipes for Lemon Butter Pasta does exactly that. A robust combination of butter, garlic, parmesan and lemon works well with pork, beef, chicken, fish or shellfish.
Often times side dishes are sort of an afterthought when planning meals. I am definitely guilty of this and have to actively remind myself to think about what’s going with the main item. Also as I try to transition my family – and myself – to a healthier balance on our plates, I want to consider making less of the main protein and more vegetables and whole grains.
Substitutes and Variations:
I have use bucatini because it is so amazing to have all that sauce soaked into the center tunnel of the noodles. You can really use any type of pasta with this sauce. Just be sure to cook the pasta to a perfect al dented.
Suggestions for Sides:
This makes a great side for a number of protein options. It will go so well with a pork or chicken cutlet (a breaded and pan fried pork chop or chicken breast). It would also be lovely with a simple salt pepper garlic powder grilled steak. This citrus also lends itself to shrimp or salmon option.
Tools that may make this recipe easier:
To make this recipe easier, a good pair of tongs with silicone tips are needed. The silicone tips make sure that you do not break up the pasta and turn it to mush. You will also need a microplane for zesting the lemons. Remember that you only want the colored yellow parts of the skin, once you see white you need to move to a different part of the fruit. The white is pith and it is very bitter. Otherwise, you just need the usual items – a pot, a whisk and a measuring cup.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Lemon Butter Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 lb Bucatini or other long pasta
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Medium Lemons zested & juiced
- 1 cups Water
- 2 tsp Granulated Garlic
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1 cup Milk
Instructions
- Start water boiling for pasta.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together water, lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan, corn starch and seasonings.
- Add pasta to boiling water and let cook as directed on the package. Drain water from pasta and return pasta to pot.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and oil. Once fully melted, begin whisking and then slowly pouring the lemon mixture into the pan while still whisking. Once incorporated, reduce heat to medium low.
- Let sauce simmer until pasta is cooked. Whisk in milk and remove sauce from heat.
- Pour sauce over pasta and use tongs to coat the pasta evenly then serve right away.
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Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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