One of the few downsides of summer is that citrus is no longer in season. Yes, of course, you can still buy lemons all year around, but they’re so much less juicy and more difficult to work with.
Despite this, I find lemon and lime to be particularly “summery” flavors and I will be using them regardless! This is Rigatoni al Limone, which is essentially a fancy buttered pasta with the addition of lemons. It’s light and refreshing while still being hearty and satisfying.
While this recipe is rather simple and straightforward from an ingredients perspective, the method of combining those ingredients makes all the difference. Just like in so many classic Italian pastas, emulsification is what makes this dish shine.
To emulsify something basically means to combine two liquids that won’t usually mix well (such as oil and vinegar), until the oil droplets are suspended in the vinegar/water, creating an emulsion. In this recipe, we are emulsifying butter and parmesan cheese into lemon juice and pasta water.
Its much easier than it sounds — I promise.
the full recipe:
Ingredients
8 oz Rigatoni (or another pasta shape)
4 tbsp Salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 Lemons*
1/4 cup lemon juice
~ 1 cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Chives, thinly sliced
Tools
Large pan
Whisk
Steps
*Before juicing the lemons, take a vegetable peeler and peel one strip of lemon peel. Use a knife to cut into long, thin strips. Set aside. Zest the remainder of 1 of the lemons, then juice both of the lemons.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rapid boil. Boil 8 oz rigatoni until al dente. Reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
In a medium-large pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the lemon peel strips and sizzle slightly for about 1 minute. Remove the lemon strips and set to the side.
To the same pan with oil and butter, lower the heat and add half of the lemon zest. Stir until fragrant. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice (half of the total amount) and stir to combine.
Add 1 cube of butter. Use a whisk to stir the butter cube into the lemon juice until it is fully emulsified.
Continue whisking in the cubed butter until you’ve used up all of the butter, except for one cube, then add the remaining 2 tbsps of lemon juice.
Add a few splashes of pasta water to the sauce. Then, sprinkle in about half of the grated parmigiano. Whisk to combine. Add the cooked pasta to the lemon sauce with the remaining cube of butter and toss until fully combined.
Sprinkle in the majority of the remaining parmigiano (save some for garnish). Add a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Then toss again to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve warm and garnish with the remaining half of the lemon zest, more parmigiano and chopped chives.
Be sure to keep the sauce over a lower heat once the lemon juice is added, as it can become bitter when heated too much.
Using cold cubed butter will help to emulsify rather than just melt. Also, keeping the heat of the sauce relatively low will help this too. But, if your sauce gets too hot or something, don’t sweat it. It will still taste great.
Rigatoni - Any pasta shape will work here. You can also substitute with gluten-free pasta if needed.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!