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Lemon Pasta Sauce

Read Reviews (144)

"It's creamy and it's wonderful and it's lemon and lime. Serve with cubed cooked meat or veggies, if desired." — MARBALET

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 4 to 6 servings Change Servings

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 cup beef broth
10 ounces uncooked pasta

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Directions

In a sauce pan or skillet large enough to hold the pasta when it is done, combine the butter, cream, and beef broth or bouillon and simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half. Add the lemon juice, lemon and lime zest and set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss pasta with sauce; serve.

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I love this one. I do not add the lime zest and I always use extra lemon juice (I juice a whole lemon which is 1/3 of a cup). I think this recipie is the best. I add chicken to it or sliced sauteed mushrooms, it's a restaurant quality recipie and is very easy to make. It does not reheat for leftovers though.

—JOURN

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 23, 2003

I was anxious to try this after reading the reviews..and yes this was fairly quick to put together, but I wasn't too excited about the taste. I used chicken broth in lieu of the beef and added some sauteed red bell peppers, yellow squash and fresh spinach, which I cut into match-strips. I only used the lemon juice and a little bit of the rind..which gave it plenty of tartness. I sprinkled a hefty dose of parmesan cheese on each serving and paired this with a focaccia bread found on this site. Not sure if I'll attempt this one again, but it was a nice alternative to the tomato based sauces that are so common at my place. Thanks.

—JOSIE

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182 Ratings

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Mar 09, 2003

This was a FANTASTIC idea! Granted, I modified a bit. I used half-n-half, and added artichokes, asparagus, fresh tomatoes, and mushrooms to the sauce. But I love the idea of a lemon-cream base. Thank you Holly, my guests were so pleased, and so was I!

—TRUCKERDOO

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Apr 13, 2006

This recipe was fabulous! I do not think that the zest is neccesary though. I used 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of lime juice instead of the lemon and lime zest. I also added chicken and broccoli and used chicken broth instead of beef broth. Overall, this was a great recipe and I will definately use it again! I would not suggest this recipe to people who do not like tart food, but for those who do, this is one you must try!

—melissa

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May 26, 2003

Absolutely wonderful!We had it over fettuccine, asparagus and lemon pepper chicken and it was devine. I used chicken broth instead of beef. Please note that reducing sauce takes time.To achieve a thicker sauce Have Patience! It will definately be worth it.I will use this recipe again and again.

—cadensmom

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Jan 21, 2010

Wonderful recipe. I didn't have Heavy cream so I used 2% milk and then added just a touch of Corn starch as a thickening agent. Worked wonderful.

—dhillyard

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Apr 03, 2004

Very nice basic sauce with a twist (of citrus). Would be a perfect side to go with any seafood or poultry entree, or a great main course by tossing seafood/poultry right in. I used chicken broth, and made a main dish out of it by adding a little garlic, toasted pine nuts and steamed broccoli florets, and am eager to try it again with asparagus. The possibilities are endless. We sprinkled on parmesan at the table. Passed the picky kid test, too. Keeper!!

—Susan

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Oct 05, 2006

Great sauce, Holly. I used fat-free "half & half" (will use cream next time as there was an odd coagulation going on with the fat-free 1/2 & 1/2) and also added 1 tsp. black pepper. Based on other reviews, I added about 2 cloves minced garlic with the butter. It was a little bit salty & the appearance was somewhat similar to gravy so I think that I'll omit the broth next time and gently simmer the sauce, covered, so that it doesn't reduce (unsalted butter would help w/the saltiness, as well). I topped each serving with some grated pecorino romano and toasted hazel nuts. Thanks for the submission!

—Shannon :)

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Nutrition

Calories
412 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
32.7 g
11%

Cholesterol
131 mg
44%

Fat
28.2 g
43%

Fiber
2.3 g
9%

Protein
8 g
16%

Sodium
256 mg
10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Lemon Pasta Sauce

Serving Size: 1/5 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 412
Calories from Fat: 254

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28.2g 43 %
Saturated Fat 17g 85 %
Cholesterol 131mg 44 %
Sodium 256mg 10 %
Potassium 174mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 32.7g 11 %
Dietary Fiber 2.3g 9 %
Protein 8g 16 %
** Sugars 0.2g
Vitamin A 20 %
Vitamin C 7 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 20 %
Thiamin 41 %
Niacin 30 %
Vitamin B6 5 %
Magnesium 11 %
Folate 57 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.