Creamy Lemon Pasta

I will give it to you straight. In my 30-something years, I haven't met a person who didn't love at least one pasta dish. And I am pretty sure that you are on the same page with me. Why? Because the variety of pasta recipes is so versatile that you simply can't find at least one dish to land exactly on your preferences. Now, what is even better is that pasta recipes are not just delicious but are also easy to prepare and perfectly suited for a weeknight dinner.

If this is not your first encounter with our website, then you know that we love to experiment with all kinds of sauces when it comes to our pasta dishes. And today, I want to share with you a summer-ish, creamy lemon pasta sauce that, when combined with zucchinis, has the power to blow your mind.

Yes, it is super easy to make, and you only need basic kitchen skills to nail the dish. Yes, you only need just a bunch of ingredients to prepare this pasta with a zucchini recipe. Furthermore, if you wish to make this lemon pasta vegan, just replace the dairy products and remove the anchovy.

But let's not get into too many details before you see the instructions on preparing this creamy lemon pasta. Thus, let's start cooking.

• I always use my own homemade pasta dough, which I shape into tagliatelle. You can find the recipe here. However, if you don't have a pasta machine or simply are not in the mood for playing around, I suggest you buy fresh tagliatelle from your local store. Yes, you could use dry pasta, but the starch that comes from the fresh ones gives this lemon pasta recipe the creaminess that makes the difference.
• Anyway, start by peeling your zucchini. Largely grate it into a clean cloth towel. Salt it and combine everything using your hands. This way, you will help the zucchini remove more of its liquid.
• Gather the ends of your towel and form a zucchini-towel ball. Let it sit in a strainer until it's time to use it.
• Prepare a skillet and place it on medium heat. Heat up 1 tbsp of butter + 1 tsp of olive oil. This will give you both flavor and a suitable frying temperature.
• Finely chop your onion and fry it in your prepared skillet for 3-4 minutes or until glossy. Add the green garlic, fresh chili, and anchovy. Let everything cook until the anchovy disappears. This should not take more than 2 minutes. However, be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Let's return to our zucchini. Squeeze as hard as you can the previously made ball. You want to discard all the water. So don't stop until you do.
• When no more liquid comes out of your cloth, you can transfer the grated zucchini into the skillet along with the chopped tomatoes.

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• I like to cut my tomatoes in bigger chunks, but you can play with their size any way to prefer.
• Leave everything to cook for 1-2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.
• Now, it's time to add the double cream, grated parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir to combine and let it reduce for a couple of minutes.

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• When the garlic lemon pasta sauce is all bubbly and nice, add the pesto and roasted pine nuts.
• Stir once more and let cook for an extra minute.
• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than well done. If you are using fresh pasta, it should not take more than 2 minutes.
• Transfer the pasta, as well as half a cup of pasta water, to the skillet, and carefully mix everything.

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• As I said earlier, you want that pasta water for its starchiness which will give the sauce that velvety texture.

And that's it. Serve it immediately with some extra parmesan and freshly ground black pepper on top.

* You can use store-bought pesto, but if you want to make things extra special, you can try out our homemade recipe.

** Don't forget to tag us on Instagram if you're making this dish.