Lemon Butter Pasta Peas Parmesan (Printable)

Linguine in a lemon butter sauce with peas and Parmesan, delivering fresh and bright flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - Zest of 1 lemon
05 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dairy and Fats

07 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

→ Seasonings

09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in colander.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown.
03 - Stir in peas and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through if frozen, or until just tender if fresh.
04 - Add lemon zest and juice to the skillet, stirring to combine thoroughly.
05 - Add drained pasta to skillet along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Toss to coat pasta evenly in sauce.
06 - Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Toss until cheese melts and sauce becomes silky, adding additional pasta water as needed for creamy consistency.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Transfer to serving plates immediately and top with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Ready in 25 minutes but tastes like you've been cooking all afternoon.
  • The sauce comes together from ingredients you probably already have, yet feels completely restaurant-worthy.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes everything taste lighter and more alive, even in the middle of winter.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water—it's the secret to getting the sauce to cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Add the Parmesan off the heat or very low heat, because high heat can make the cheese seize up and get grainy instead of melting into silkiness.
03 -
  • Melt your butter slowly and use real Parmesan so the sauce tastes expensive, not processed.
  • The whole dish takes 25 minutes, so mise en place—have everything prepped before you boil water—because once the pasta hits the pot, you're moving fast.
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