Butter Lemon Pasta

Butter Lemon Pasta

This is one of those recipes we genuinely make on repeat. It's the kind of thing you throw together on a weeknight when you're tired, you've got 15 minutes, and you want something that feels really special without any of the faff. Butter, lemon, garlic, capers; it sounds simple because it is, but the flavour is properly punchy and bright. The sauce clings to every strand of pasta and that hit of zingy lemon with the salty capers is just chef's kiss every single time. Honestly, make this tonight.

Cook: 15 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large pan of boiling water
  • Large frying pan

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp capers
  • 200g spaghetti good quality
  • 2 tbsp plant-based butter good quality
  • 2 clove garlic cloves
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1

Cook the pasta

  • Add the pasta and a big pinch of salt to the pan of boiling water and cook according to the package instructions
2

Prepare the ingredients

  • Peel and finely slice the garlic
  • Roughly chop the capers
  • Zest and halve the lemon
  • Pick the parsley and finely slice the leaves
3

Prepare the sauce

  • When the pasta is 3 minutes away from the being cooked through, warm the butter and oil in the pan over medium heat
  • Add the garlic and capers to the pan and stir for 2 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn
  • Add the lemon zest to the pan and stir to combine
  • Use to tongs to carefully transfer the pasta to the frying pan
  • Squeeze the lemon juice over the pasta, catching any pips in your free hand, sprinkle the parsley (reserving a little for garnish), a generous amount of pepper and a little salt over the pasta and fold to combine
  • Twist the the pasta into bowls, garnish with parsley, pepper and salt and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Don't ditch the pasta water: We cannot stress this enough. Scoop out a mugful before you drain the pasta. That starchy water is what makes the sauce creamy and helps it cling properly. It's the secret weapon in basically every great pasta dish.
  • Caper fans, go heavy: We always add a few more capers than the recipe says. They bring this brilliant briny punch that balances the richness of the butter. If you're into that salty, tangy flavour, don't hold back.
  • Fresh parsley makes a difference: Dried just won't do it here. The fresh parsley stirred through at the end adds a lovely bit of colour and a clean, herby lift that rounds the whole dish out. Worth grabbing a bunch.

Why This Works

The trick here is timing the sauce so it comes together right as the pasta finishes cooking. You're building it in the same pan, using a splash of starchy pasta water to emulsify the butter and oil into something silky and glossy rather than greasy. That's the move that takes it from good to really, really good. Don't skip the lemon zest either; it's doing just as much work as the juice.