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Campania · Linguine al Limone

Linguine al Limone

Silky linguine in a bright lemon cream sauce with zest, butter, and Parmigiano — the Amalfi Coast on a plate.

Total

20 min

Prep

5 min

Cook

15 min

Serves

4

EasyAmalfiBrightCitrusCreamyQuick
Linguine al Limone — Linguine al Limone

The Story

Where it comes from

On the cliffs of Positano and Amalfi, lemons grow as big as grapefruits and are sweeter than most oranges. This dish captures that brightness: lemon zest and juice emulsified into butter and Parmigiano, coating linguine in a sauce that tastes like sunshine. It's elegant, simple, and impossible to stop eating.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Linguine

    400 g

  • Coarse sea salt

    for water

For the sauce

  • Unsalted butter

    cold, cubed

    80 g

  • Heavy cream

    or fresh ricotta

    120 ml

  • Lemons

    zest and juice

    2 large

  • Parmigiano Reggiano

    finely grated

    60 g

  • Fresh basil

    torn

    small handful

Equipment

Wide skilletMicroplaneTongs

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Zest and juice

    3 min

    Zest both lemons finely. Juice them into a bowl — you need about 80 ml. Keep zest and juice separate.

  2. 2

    Cook the pasta

    9 min

    Boil linguine until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.

  3. 3

    Build the sauce

    2 min

    In a warm skillet (off heat), add butter, cream, lemon zest, and half the juice. Whisk until butter melts. Add Parmigiano and whisk until smooth.

    Chef's note · Start with less lemon juice — you can always add more.

  4. 4

    Toss and finish

    2 min

    Add pasta to the sauce with tongs. Toss vigorously, adding pasta water to loosen. Taste and adjust lemon. Finish with basil.

Chef tips

  • ·Use unwaxed, organic lemons. The zest is a main ingredient.
  • ·Start with less lemon than you think — you can add, but you can't subtract.
  • ·A pinch of lemon zest at the very end keeps the aroma alive.

Common mistakes

  • ·Adding lemon juice to hot butter — it can curdle the cream.
  • ·Using bottled lemon juice. Fresh is non-negotiable.
  • ·Over-lemoning. The sauce should be bright, not sour.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Falanghina

Campania

Crisp, mineral, with citrus notes that echo the lemon perfectly.

Greco di Tufo

Campania

Structured white with enough body for the cream and cheese.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Linguine400 g
  • Coarse sea saltfor water
  • Unsalted butter80 g
  • Heavy cream120 ml
  • Lemons2 large
  • Parmigiano Reggiano60 g
  • Fresh basilsmall handful

Questions

Frequently asked

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