Creamy Lemon Pasta

 

From saltandlavender.com

INGREDIENTS

 

• 8 ounces rigatoni
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 tablespoon flour
• 1 small clove garlic minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth/veg broth or dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Garnish: fresh parsley & extra parm optional

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
• When the pasta is about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, sprinkle the flour in and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring fairly often.
• Add in the garlic, followed by the broth (or wine) and lemon juice + zest. Let it bubble for 1 minute.
• Whisk in the cream and cook it for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up to your liking. 
• Stir in the parmesan cheese and take the skillet off the heat. Season with salt & pepper as needed (I am generous with both).
• Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until coated (I like to add a tablespoon or so of the pasta water to the sauce prior to draining it, especially if it's become a tad too thick). Garnish with more parmesan and a bit of chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
  

  NOTES

  • This pasta makes 4 reasonably-sized portions with plenty of sauce, but if you've got really hungry people and you're not serving it with anything else, I would double the recipe. Serves 2-4 depending on how much people eat.
  • I do NOT recommend subbing the heavy cream for anything with a lower fat content (e.g. half-and-half or milk) because the lemon in the sauce is very likely to curdle it, and you'll have to add more flour to thicken the sauce.