If you want to cook something that’s comforting, tasty, hearty, and still a little bit fancy, this linguine al limone dish is just what you need. It’s dairy-free, vegan, and packed full of flavor, and just made for weekend evening meals.

This recipe comes from The Vegan Pasta Cookbook by Rebecca Hincke. It’s deceptively easy to make, and is perfect if you’re not confident in the kitchen.

Read more: 23 Comforting Vegan Pasta Recipes

Linguine al limon, or linguine with lemon, is an Italian pasta dish known for its light and refreshing flavors. This dish combines linguine, a type of pasta similar to spaghetti but flatter and narrower, with a sauce made from lemon zest and lemon juice. The sauce often includes ingredients such as olive oil, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs like parsley or basil, and sometimes cream to add richness. This vegan linguine al limone recipe uses almond parm in place of parmesan. Find out how to make this in Hincke’s book, or alternatively you could buy a parmesan alternative from the supermarket. This recipe also uses vegan butter and pasta water to give it its creaminess.

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Linguine al limone recipe

Creamy, quick, and easy, this pasta dish is punchy and vibrant from lots of fresh lemon juice and zest. Adding pasta cooking water at the end helps melt the Almond Parm and emulsify the butter, giving it a silky-smooth sauciness.

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Servings people

Ingredients

¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
12 oz dried spaghetti
4 tbsp vegan butter
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (2 tsp [6 g] zest, 6–8 tbsp [90-120 ml] juice)
¾ cup almond parm
2 cups pasta cooking water (as needed)
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Add the pistachios to a nonstick pan and toast them over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently to keep them from burning. The nuts should start to smell very fragrant and toasted. Remove them from the heat and set aside.
Start cooking the pasta in boiling, salted water. Cook until just before al dente, as the pasta will continue to cook once it’s added to the lemon sauce.
When the pasta is nearly cooked, melt the butter in a large nonstick pan. Add the lemon zest and juice, and simmer for 1 minute over medium-low heat.
Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups (480 ml) of pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the lemon sauce, along with the Almond Parm, and ½ cup (120 ml) of pasta water. Stir everything together well and add more water as needed until the pasta is saucy enough for your liking. You may not need to use all of the pasta water. Stir in the parsley and season the dish with salt and pepper.
Serve and garnish with pistachios and parsley.

You can grate store-bought vegan Parmesan in place of Almond Parm, if needed.

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