Lemon Capellini Fresh Herbs (Printable Version)

Delicate capellini in lemon butter sauce, finished with fresh parsley, basil, and chives.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz capellini (angel hair pasta)
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - Zest of 2 lemons
05 - Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tbsp)
06 - 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
07 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Herbs and Garnish

09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
10 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
11 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
12 - Extra lemon zest, for garnish (optional)
13 - Extra Parmesan, for serving (optional)

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add capellini and cook until just al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Pour in lemon juice and reserved pasta water. Stir to combine and let simmer for 1 minute.
04 - Add drained capellini to skillet. Toss gently to coat evenly with lemon butter sauce.
05 - Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper. Toss until cheese melts and sauce becomes silky. Add extra pasta water if needed for creaminess.
06 - Remove from heat and fold in chopped parsley, basil, and chives.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional lemon zest, herbs, and Parmesan as desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in twenty minutes but tastes like you've been stirring a sauce all afternoon.
  • The lemon stays bright and alive instead of fading into background flavor, which honestly surprised me the first time I nailed it.
  • One pot, one pan, and barely any cleanup—the kind of victory that makes weeknight cooking feel possible again.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not extra liquid you're being polite about using—it's the binder that transforms separate ingredients into one cohesive, silky dish, so always reserve it.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks oily, take the pan off heat immediately; keeping it cool for 30 seconds and stirring gently usually brings it back together, and it's a lesson that changed everything about how I handle butter sauces.
03 -
  • Microplane zesting takes ten seconds and changes everything; box graters shred the zest unevenly and sometimes pull bitter white pith along with it.
  • Keep the heat moderate the whole time—high heat and butter sauce are enemies, and medium heat lets everything meld properly without breaking.
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