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I want to bathe in this creamy lemon butter sauce… maybe not bathe because that would be wasting it, but it is so good especially tossed in the pappardelle and the little parmigiano za’atar crunchy toppings 🙌 forget about it. You are going to love this Creamy Lemon Pasta!

How To Prepare Lemon Pappardelle

Parm Za’atar Crumble

🔥 Preheat your oven to 375°F.

🧀 Add ⅔ cup parmigiano reggiano (you will use the rest later) to a baking sheet, mix in the za’atar and grate a bit of lemon zest. Mix with your hands.

⏲️ Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden but not burnt. Let it cool.

Lemon Pappardelle

💧Now it’s time to fill a pot with water and start heating your pasta water.

🧈 In a pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Once bubbling, arrange your lemon slices and let them caramelize on medium low heat for about 4-5 minutes per side. Sprinkle the ½ tsp sugar among them before flipping and then a pinch of salt.

🍋 Once lemons are super soft, drag them around the pan to sort of deglaze the stuck on bits and remove.

🍝 Cook your pasta in salted water until almost al dente (2 minutes less than package directions).

🔪 Chop the lemons until finely minced and return to the pan, add the mascarpone and 1 ladle of pasta water. Mix it well. Squeeze a tiny bit of lemon (1 tsp max).

🥣 Add a bit of pasta water to the remaining ⅓ parmigiano and mix. Add your pappardelle to your sauce and parmigiano. Mix until all creamy and incorporated, about 2 minutes.

🧈 Turn heat off and add 4 tbsp of butter. Emulsify. Season to taste.

🍽️ Top with more parmigiano and the parm za’atar crumble.

🫶 And that is it, subscribe for more!

Substitutions for Lemon Pappardelle

  1. You can use your favorite type of pasta instead of pappardelle.
  2. You can use any cheese of choice instead of Parmigiano.

🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥

Once the lemons are super soft, drag them around the pan to sort of deglaze the stuck on bits.

creamy lemon butter sauce

Recipes that Pair with Lemon Pappardelle

Common Questions

For this Lemon Pappardelle, can I use a different type of pasta?

Yes of course. You can use any type of pasta you like!

What Za’atar do you use?

For this recipe, I used Z&Z Za’atar.

Lemon Pappardelle

I want to bathe in this creamy lemon butter sauce lemon 🍋… maybe not bathe because that would be wasting it, but it is really is that good!
Servings: 2 servings
By Nadia Aidi
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 40 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet
  • 1 pan
  • 1 pot
  • 1 cheese grater

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated + more for topping
  • 1 tbsp za’atar
  • 2 lemons, ½ of 1 thinly sliced & the other whole
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup mascarpone
  • 8-10 oz pappardelle
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

Parm Za’atar Crumble

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  • Add ⅔ cup parmigiano reggiano (you will use the rest later) to a baking sheet, mix in the za’atar and grate a bit of lemon zest. Mix with your hands.
  • Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden but not burnt. Let it cool.

Creamy Lemon Pasta

  • Fill a pot with water and start heating your pasta water.
  • In a pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Once bubbling, arrange ½ of 1 lemon thinly sliced to the pan and let them caramelize on medium low heat for about 4-5 minutes per side. Sprinkle the ½ tsp sugar among them before flipping and then a pinch of salt.
  • Once lemons are super soft, drag them around the pan to sort of deglaze the stuck on bits and remove.
  • Cook your pasta in salted water until almost al dente (2 minutes less than package directions).
  • Chop the lemons until finely minced and return to the pan, add the mascarpone and 1 ladle of pasta water. Mix it well. Squeeze a tiny bit of lemon (1 tsp max).
  • Add a bit of pasta water to the remaining ⅓ parmigiano and mix.
  • Add your pappardelle to your sauce and parmigiano. Mix until all creamy and incorporated, about 2 minutes.
  • Turn heat off and add 4 tbsp of butter. Emulsify. Season to taste.
  • Top with more parmigiano and the parm za’atar crumble.

Video

YouTube video

Nutrition

Calories: 1050kcal, Carbohydrates: 95g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 59g, Saturated Fat: 35g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 233mg, Sodium: 847mg, Potassium: 496mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1829IU, Vitamin C: 58mg, Calcium: 745mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Nadia Aidi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 1050
Keyword: lemon pasta, lemon sauce
Tried this recipe?Mention @FoodMyMuse or tag #FoodMyMuse!
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