Lemon Butter Pasta Light (Printable)

Delicate capellini in silky lemon-butter sauce. A bright, zesty Italian dish ready in 20 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz capellini (angel hair pasta)
02 - 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)

→ Sauce

03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
04 - 2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Finishing

06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
09 - Salt, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the capellini and cook according to package instructions until al dente (typically 2–3 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and let it warm through for 1–2 minutes.
03 - Add the drained capellini to the skillet. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
04 - Remove from heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
05 - Divide among plates, garnish with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you can set the table, which means weeknight dinners become genuinely manageable.
  • The sauce is pure silk—no cream needed, just the magic of butter and lemon juice working together like old friends.
  • You'll taste every single ingredient because there's nowhere for anything to hide, so quality actually matters here.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not just for thinning—it's an emulsifier that makes the butter and lemon juice cling to every strand, so don't skip it and don't use regular water as a substitute.
  • Timing is everything here because once the pasta leaves the boiling water and hits the warm sauce, it continues cooking slightly, so pulling it slightly before al dente is actually the smart move.
03 -
  • Save your pasta water before draining—this starchy liquid is what separates a glossy, silky dish from one that separates and breaks, so err on the side of using more rather than less.
  • If you're cooking for people you want to impress, grate the Parmesan fresh from the block rather than using pre-grated, because it melts into the sauce silkily instead of staying separate and grainy.
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