Creamy Lemon Garlic Spaghetti
Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
olive oil (room_temperature)
15 ml
butter (room_temperature)
28 g
yellow onion (diced)
0.5 cup
garlic (minced)
15 g
all purpose flour
12 g
chicken broth
180 ml
heavy whipping cream (room_temperature, unsweetened)
360 ml
salt
2 g
black pepper
1 g
garlic powder
2 g
Italian seasoning
1 g
parsley
1 g
Parmesan cheese (grated)
75 g
lemon zest
6 g
lemon juice
10 ml
red chili flakes
1 g
pasta water (reserved)
240 ml
spaghetti
255 g
Instructions
Cook the spaghetti
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
Sauté onion
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion and sauté for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Cook garlic
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
Make roux
Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
Add broth
Gradually pour in the chicken broth while whisking until the mixture is smooth. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.
Add cream and seasonings
Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Simmer for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cheese and lemon
Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the lemon juice last.
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and toss until every strand is coated in the creamy sauce.
Adjust sauce consistency
Gradually add the reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, tossing continuously until the sauce becomes silky and perfectly coats the pasta. You may not need all of the pasta water.
Final seasoning and serve
Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, Parmesan, or lemon juice if needed. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, extra grated Parmesan, lemon zest, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately while hot.
Original recipe
Storage
Best served fresh. Sauce may thicken in fridge; add a splash of milk when reheating to restore creaminess.
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