Recipe: Linguine al Limone

This delicious pasta dish was a culinary highlight of 2020. We add grilled shrimp to this simple dish for even more flavor.

This recipe is inspired by Molly Baz’s recipe from Bon Appétit. For our preparation, we use linguine and substitute half-and-half for heavy cream to make things a *little* healthier.

Watch Molly’s step-by-step video on YouTube.

Serves four. Reheats beautifully.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1 lemon
• 12 oz. linguine
• Kosher salt
• ¾ cup half-and-half
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about ¾ cup) 
  We highly recommend buying and grating fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano rather than buying pre-grated. And when you come to the end of a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, DO NOT throw away the rind. Keep it in your refrigerator to use in soups or sauces. See our recipe for Pressure Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs to use a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind.
• Freshly ground black pepper

Step by Step

Step 1
Remove the tails from the shrimp and rinse the shrimp under cold water in a colander. Skewer the shrimp using pre-soaked bamboo skewers (or metal skewers if you have them). Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the shrimp until you’re ready to grill them. Preheat your grill to 450°-500° and spray with high-heat grilling oil (we use avocado oil). Take the shrimp out of the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes before you’re ready to grill them. 

Step 2
Using a vegetable peeler, remove two 2"-long strips of lemon zest. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining zest into a large pot (like a Dutch oven). Cut lemon in half and squeeze out enough juice to yield 2 Tbsp. into a small bowl; set aside.

Step 3
Cook pasta in another large pot of boiling heavily salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).

Step 4
Meanwhile, add half-and-half to pot with lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until melted and sauce is creamy and emulsified. Remove from heat.

Step 5
Add the shrimp to the grill and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the shrimp are opaque.

Step 6
Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid. Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer linguine to pot with sauce (it’s okay if a little water comes along with it). Cook, tossing often and adding Parmigiano-Reggiano little by little, until cheese is melted, and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. If sauce looks tight, add 1–2 Tbsp. pasta cooking liquid. (Cream sauces tighten up very quickly as they cool, so it’s better to lean on the saucier side of things.) Stir in reserved lemon juice; season with more salt, if needed. Stir in the grilled shrimp.

Step 7
Divide pasta among bowls. Season with pepper, then top with reserved lemon zest strips.

Download the one-page recipe PDF