Lemon Butter Pasta with Peas (Printable)

Spring pasta with peas, lemon-butter sauce, and Parmesan for a fresh, light meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - Zest of 1 lemon
05 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dairy & Fats

07 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

→ Seasonings

09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for pasta water
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown.
03 - Stir peas into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through if frozen, or until just tender if fresh.
04 - Add lemon zest and juice to the skillet, stirring to combine with the butter and peas.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Toss gently to coat pasta evenly in the sauce.
06 - Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper over the pasta. Toss until cheese melts and sauce becomes silky, adding additional pasta water as needed to achieve creamy consistency.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
08 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, leaving you with a restaurant-quality dinner on a random Tuesday without the stress.
  • The lemon-butter sauce is so silky and forgiving that even small mistakes somehow turn into magic.
02 -
  • Don't drain your pasta water until you've reserved some; that starch is what transforms melted butter into an actual sauce instead of just greasy pasta.
  • Add the pasta water gradually, not all at once—every pot evaporates differently, and you want the sauce to coat the pasta, not pool at the bottom.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it; once it's cut in half, the zest is harder to grab without the bitter white pith.
  • Taste the pasta water before you drain it—if it's not salty enough, your whole dish will taste flat no matter how much salt you add later.
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