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.
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.