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Creamy Lemon & Mint Linguine (No Cream!)

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Experience the taste of the Mediterranean with this remarkably flavorful and unexpectedly rich lemon pasta. Despite its creamy texture, it contains no cream! The zest and juice of fresh lemons, along with fragrant mint and Pecorino Romano cheese, create a lively and gratifying dish that balances simplicity and sophistication.

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Creamy Lemon & Mint Linguine (No Cream!)
Prep time 10 min
Cook time 12 min
Servings
🌱
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 200 g linguine
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 pcs mint
  • 2 pcs lemon
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 100 g pecorino romano cheese

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Incorporate 1 tbsp of rock salt.

  2. 2

    Cook the linguine for a duration that is 2 minutes shorter than the package directions for al dente. Typically, for most packages, this translates to a cooking time of 10 minutes instead of 12.

  3. 3

    While the pasta is cooking, zest one lemon completely. Subsequently, halve it and extract all the juice into a separate bowl.

  4. 4

    For the second lemon, zest half and reserve. Cut the remaining half into quarters.

  5. 5

    With 2 minutes remaining in the pasta's cooking time (after 10 minutes), heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Introduce 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

  6. 6

    Incorporate the reserved lemon zest and half of the lemon juice. Break in some fresh mint leaves. Add the lemon quarters to the saucepan, allowing them to further infuse flavor.

  7. 7

    Carefully move the partially cooked linguine from the pot directly to the saucepan containing the lemon mixture.

  8. 8

    Introduce a generous mug (approximately 1 cup) of the pasta cooking water into the saucepan. For the first minute, stir continuously, enabling the water to evaporate.

  9. 9

    Take out and throw away the lemon quarters from the saucepan.

  10. 10

    With approximately 1.5 minutes of cooking time remaining, add the freshly zested portion of the second lemon directly into the pasta. Integrate additional fresh mint.

  11. 11

    With 1 minute remaining, add the rest of the lemon juice. Continue cooking over maximum heat, stirring constantly, until most of the water has evaporated and the pasta achieves perfect al dente texture.

  12. 12

    Take the saucepan away from the heat. Incorporate the Pecorino Romano cheese and stir forcefully in order to develop a smooth sauce, without using any cream.

  13. 13

    Serve right away, decorating with extra lemon zest and fresh mint leaves.