Linguine With Meyer Lemon

Pairing lemon with pasta is just brilliant, as it lightens up what could be a very heavy dish. While the Northern Italian rendition uses a mix of cream and lemon juice, this pasta is coated in a silky butter sauce made with lemon zest as well as juice—it’s a bright, clean-flavored, lemony dish. Serve this in winter, when sweet, thin-skinned Meyer lemons are available and you start craving a comforting yet sunny-tasting dish like this. But don’t sweat it if you don’t have Meyer lemons; regular lemon sweetened with a squeeze of tangerine works beautifully in their place. We add a drizzle of olive oil—ideally a light, aromatic Ligurian oil—just before serving so that the fragrance of the warmed oil melds with the sauce. Our kids beg for this: When she was only two years old, Prue used to shout, “More lemon!”

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Ingredients

4 servings

lb. linguine

Zest of 2 Meyer lemons

Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

tsp. freshly ground pepper

Juice of 1 Meyer lemon

cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; plus more for serving (optional)

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Preparation

Step 1

Cook 1 lb. linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain.

Step 2

Transfer linguine to a large high-sided skillet or a Dutch oven, add ¼ cup water, and set over medium-low heat. Stir in zest of 2 Meyer lemons, 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, and ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper. Increase heat to medium and cook, tossing with tongs and adding a little more water if pasta seems dry, until butter is melted. Add juice of 1 Meyer lemon, ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, tossing, until sauce thickens slightly and only a little liquid remains and pasta is al dente (increase heat to high if needed). Taste pasta and season with more salt if desired.

Step 3

Divide pasta among plates or shallow bowls. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with more Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired.