Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Sauce

Our Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Sauce cooks up in less than 15 minutes. This simple lemon sauce requires no cooking, and only warming helps make dinner come together in a snap!  Angel hair pasta is tossed with a warm lemon sauce. Pair it with chicken or shrimp, or alone as it is!

Ingredients You Will Need:

For Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 pound Angel Hair or Capellini pasta
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 large lemon juiced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Optional: 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Optional: 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• a few stems of fresh basil, for garnish

Directions to Make it..

1.  In a large pot of boiling water, add 2 teaspoons of salt.  Add in angel hair pasta and cook until “al dente,” about 3 minutes or less.  Reserve 1/4 cup of salted water and set aside.  Drain

2.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet or sauté pan.  Add olive oil,  zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Heat gently for 1 minute.  Toss with pasta (and if you need more liquid, add in the reserved 1/4 cup of salted water).

3.  Add fresh basil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and toss until the angel hair pasta is evenly coated. Pasta tends to absorb the sauce quickly, so if you feel the need to add some extra virgin olive oil, please do so. Drizzle some in to keep the pasta extra moist.

4.  Serve in warm bowls and garnish with some fresh basil, lemon zest, and fresh cracked pepper on top.  Serve with extra-grated Parmigiano cheese at the table. Serves 4 to 6

Trick to Get it Perfect…

• For this pasta, we highly recommend that you “under-cook” the angel hair pasta slightly, to a very al-dente.  Because the pasta is so thin, it continues to cook while it is draining and will continue to internally. If it is overcooked, you will end up with it being too starchy and mushy.
• Also, it’s optional if you want to add in or leave out the grated Parmigiano cheese.  Just serve the grated cheese on the table for everyone to help themselves.  Not everyone is a fan of cheese all the time.
• Keep in mind that the angel hair pasta will absorb the lemon sauce quickly, so it’s best to serve it immediately.

 

Storing For Leftovers…

• Best to store leftovers in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• You can freeze leftovers and store them for up to 1 month.

Options to serve this pasta dish with…

Enjoy our Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Sauce with any of these dishes to choose from:

• Chicken Tenders Smothered in Lemon & Parsley
• Grilled Ginger-Lime Chicken Kabobs
• Best Salmon Piccata
• Easy Baked Shrimp Scampi Dinner
• Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi
• Asparagus Au Gratin – Lightened

Questions & Answers…

1. Can we make additional lemon sauce? This recipe is very easy to adapt, simply because you can add more or less lemon juice, zest, and extra virgin olive oil to suit your taste.

2. Want it spicy? You may even add some crushed red pepper flakes (about 1/8 tsp.) to give it some heat.

3. May we use bottled lemon juice instead of real lemons? We don’t recommend it. And for one reason only, you want the “best and freshest tasting” sauce for this pasta dish. Also, bottled lemon juice contains preservatives, and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

4. Can we use any brand of pasta? Any “thin pasta” works great with this recipe. Also, try this recipe with gluten-free Angel Hair or  Capellini Pasta.

QUICK NOTE: Keep in mind that nothing in this recipe has to be the “exact amount” to make it perfect, just like some of the photos I make for Pinterest – they’re not perfect!

With the picky eaters in my family, it was a nice surprise to see how they all loved my pasta with lemon sauce!

ENJOY!!

Try These Recipes Next! 

• Bucatini with Truffle Oil and Ricotta Salata
• Vegetable Bolognese with Pappardelle
• Spinach Ravioli with White Cream Asparagus Sauce
• Asian-Style Capellini Pasta with Vegetables
• Pasta with Creamy Cauliflower

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HAPPY COOKING!  🙂