Lemon Capellini Fresh Herbs (View Print Version)

Delicate capellini bathed in lemon butter sauce, brightened with a harmony of fresh herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz capellini (angel hair pasta)
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - Zest of 2 lemons
05 - Juice of 2 lemons (approx. 4 tbsp)
06 - 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
07 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Herbs and Garnish

09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
10 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
11 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
12 - Extra lemon zest, for garnish (optional)
13 - Extra Parmesan, for serving (optional)

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add capellini and cook until just al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add lemon juice and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir and simmer gently for 1 minute.
04 - Add drained capellini to the skillet and toss gently to coat with lemon butter sauce.
05 - Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper over pasta. Toss until cheese melts and sauce becomes silky. Add more pasta water if needed for desired creaminess.
06 - Remove from heat and toss in parsley, basil, and chives until evenly distributed.
07 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra lemon zest, herbs, and Parmesan as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's faster than ordering takeout, yet feels restaurant-worthy when it hits the plate.
  • The brightness of fresh lemon and herbs means you taste every ingredient doing exactly what it should.
  • One skillet, minimal cleanup, and somehow you end up with a silky sauce that clings to each strand of pasta like it was meant to be.
02 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain—forgetting this one step means your sauce loses its silky texture and becomes thin and slick instead.
  • Lemon juice can curdle cream-based sauces, but pasta water's starch prevents that; this is the reason the sauce comes together at all.
  • Tasting along the way isn't optional—acid, salt, and pepper need to be balanced by you, tasting constantly, not by following numbers on a page.
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before you juice them—once they're cut, squeezing releases bitter white pith oils into your juice; whole lemons give you pure brightness.
  • Keep your skillet warm while tossing the pasta in the sauce, because a cool pan loses the silkiness you've worked to build.
  • Serve immediately in warm bowls—this pasta cools fast, and cold, separated pasta tastes like a missed opportunity instead of a gift.
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