We love Ina Garten’s recipes because she uses simple and seasonal ingredients. Her lemon capellini is no different! In fact, this recipe might be the Barefoot Contessa’s best quick and easy dinner ever.
This dish comes together with ultra-thin pasta, butter and the zest and juice from a couple of lemons. Ina uses capellini, also known as angel hair. It pairs best with a light sauce, making it perfect for this 3-ingredient dish.
Ina Garten’s Lemon Capellini Recipe
This light pasta recipe cooks quickly, so pull everything out beforehand. This is called mise en place, or “everything in its place.” Ina has more cooking tips where that came from!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried capellini
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- Zest and juice from 2 large lemons
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Tools You’ll Need
- Microplane Zester: This Microplane is the perfect tool for zesting citrus and grating Parmesan cheese.
- Pasta Spoon: Transferring the cooked pasta to the sauce is a pivotal step in this recipe, rather than draining the starchy pasta water from the pot. A pasta spoon will be your friend.
- Nonstick Saute Pan: This high-sided pan comes in handy for tossing the pasta and sauce together.
Directions
Step 1: Zest and juice lemons
Start by zesting then juicing the lemons and setting each aside. I used a Microplane, but there’s more than one way to zest a lemon.
Step 2: Cook pasta
Cook the capellini or angel hair pasta for about 3-4 minutes, until just al dente. This pasta is super delicate and will fall apart or mush together if it gets overcooked. You’ll also be tossing it with the sauce, so it will continue to cook.
Step 3: Make lemon sauce
To make the butter lemon sauce, start by heating a saute pan over medium heat. Add sticks of butter and let melt. Once melted, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then turn heat to low.
Step 4: Transfer pasta to sauce
As soon as the pasta is done, lift out of the water with a pasta spoon and transfer to the skillet with the sauce. Toss together, adding reserved pasta water to keep the pasta moist.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t be afraid of adding too much pasta water! It’s a secret ingredient that adds a rich silkiness to the sauce and acts as a thickening agent.
Step 5: Serve
Portion the lemon capellini into six servings and serve warm. Garnish with additional lemon zest, salt, pepper or fresh herbs. I like garnishing with fresh parsley but basil would be delicious too!
How to Make This Recipe Your Own
While Ina’s lemon capellini recipe is fantastic as-is, there are a few ways to make it your own:
- Serve with a portion of grilled chicken to make it a hearty meal.
- Prefer seafood? Top with scallops, salmon or sauteed shrimp.
- Saute garlic or shallots with the melted butter and lemon to add extra flavor.
- Toss in roasted vegetables or turn it into a seasonal angel hair primavera.
Here’s What We Thought
This lemon capellini recipe is a total winner in my book! I’ll be serving this light meal all summer long.
The thin noodles tossed with lemony butter practically melt in your mouth. I love the versatility of adding in any kind of protein to beef up the dish, or leave it as-is for quick but elevated comfort food.
Lemon Dinner Recipes for Citrus Lovers
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Lemon Chicken with Orzo
Here's a dish that's light and fresh but still filling. My kids love all the veggies... for real! If you like a lot of lemon, stir in an extra splash of lemon juice just before serving. —Shannon Humphrey, Hampton, Virginia
Lemon-Dijon Pork Sheet-Pan Supper
Most nights, I need something that gets on the table with minimal effort and delicious results. This sheet pan supper has become an all-time favorite not only because of its bright flavors, but also because of its speedy cleanup time! —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Slow-Roasted Lemon Dill Chicken
The lemon and dill in this slow-cooked recipe give the chicken a bright, fresh taste. Pair the entree with a side of noodles or a mixed green salad. —Lori Lockrey, Pickering, Ontario
Lemony Scallops with Angel Hair Pasta
This delicate dish tastes so bright with a touch of lemon and tender sauteed scallops. Serve with crusty whole grain bread, and you have an impressive dinner that comes together in a flash. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey
Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken with Potatoes
This is a meal I have my students make in our nutrition unit. It has a delicious lemon-herb flavor and is simple to make. —Mindy Rottmund, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lemon-Parsley Baked Cod
After trying a few baked cod recipes, this was the first fish recipe that got two thumbs up from my picky meat-only eaters. The tangy lemon gives the cod fish some oomph. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Herbed Lemon Pork Chops
Expect to get plenty of compliments on these fast, flavor-packed chops. They're tender and juicy. —Billi Jo Sylvester, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Lemon Chicken Pasta
My grandmother made chicken wings and served them over rice. To speed things up, I cook lemony chicken breasts and serve them over capellini pasta. —Aileen Rivera, Bronx, New York
Tilapia with Lemon Caper Sauce
My husband and I are always trying to increase the amount of fish in our diet. This recipe is fast, easy and enjoyable, even for non-fish lovers. —Catherine Jensen, Blytheville, Arkansas
Lemony Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
This one-dish meal tastes like it needs hours of hands-on time to put together, but it takes just minutes to prep the simple ingredients. The meat juices cook the veggies to perfection. So easy. —Sherri Melotik Oak Creek, Wisconsin Get Recipe
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These saucy chickpeas add just a little heat to meatless Mondays. They're especially good over hot, fluffy brown rice. —April Strevell, Red Bank, New Jersey
Lemon-Olive Chicken with Orzo
This quick skillet recipe is a healthy all-in-one meal. I just add a tossed salad for a menu the entire family loves. —Nancy Brown, Dahinda, Illinois
Lemony Shrimp & Snow Pea Pasta
This pretty pasta is a family favorite —the kids love the light lemony flavor and I love that they devour the fresh veggies. You can use other types of pasta for variety, like bow ties or corkscrews. —Jennifer Fisher, Austin, Texas
Slow-Cooked Lemon Chicken
Garlic, oregano and lemon juice give spark to this memorable main dish. It's easy to fix—just brown the chicken in a skillet, then let the slow cooker do the work. I like to serve this dish to company. —Walter Powell, Wilmington, Delaware
Lemon-Batter Fish
Fishing is a popular recreational activity where we live, so folks are always looking for ways to prepare their catches. My husband ranks this as one of his favorite fish fry batters. —Jackie Hannahs, Cedar Springs, Michigan
Lemon-Caper Pork Medallions
For an elegant but easy dinner you can put together in a twinkling for guests or unexpected visitors, these lightly breaded medallions are truly something special! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lemon Cream Chicken
If you want an entree that's quick, easy and elegant, you can't beat this one. The lemon cream sauce is what makes it irresistible. It goes so nicely with the chicken and mushrooms. —Mary Anne McWhirter, Pearland, Texas
Chicken and Shrimp with Lemon Cream Sauce
My kids love this creamy pasta. Whenever I make it, I know that they will happily clean their plates. —Joe Milholland, Smelterville, Idaho
Mediterranean Baked Chicken with Lemon
While visiting our daughters in Ohio, we celebrated by cooking a wonderful Lebanese dinner. I showed my daughters how to bake chicken with garlic roasted potatoes. We finished with our homemade baklava. —Shirley Glaab, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Lemony Vegetables and Pasta
My refreshing pasta dish comes together in 30 minutes. Its simplicity and flavor combinations are typical of authentic Italian cuisine. Buon appetito! —Erin Mylroie, Santa Clara, Utah
Lemon-Lime Salmon with Veggie Saute
A fresh squeeze of lemon juice brightens so many flavors—acid is one of the most important influencers in how a dish tastes. If one acid is good, two is stronger: Add lemon and lime juice when you bake salmon, cooking the supporting cast of vegetables separately until crisp-tender. —Brian Hill, West Hollywood, California
Honey-Lemon Chicken Enchiladas
Honey, lemon and chili flavors blend wonderfully in enchiladas. My family devours this dish, so I also use the chicken filling for soft tacos with toppings. —Kristi Moak, Gilbert, Arizona
Garlic Lemon Shrimp
You'll be amazed that you can make this simple, elegant pasta in mere minutes. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all of the garlic lemon sauce. —Athena Russell, Greenville, South Carolina
Lemon Chicken and Rice
On our busy ranch, we often need meals we can put on the table in a hurry. This all-in-one chicken dish - with its delicate lemon flavor - fits the bill and it's inexpensive to boot. —Kat Thompson, Prineville, Oregon
Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops
My son James created these zesty chops spiced with paprika and cayenne. He keeps the spice rub in a jar to use with chops or chicken. —Molly Seidel, Edgewood, New Mexico
Spicy Lemon Chicken Kabobs
When I see Meyer lemons in the store, it must be spring. I like using them for these easy chicken kabobs, but regular grilled lemons still add the signature smoky tang. —Terri Crandall, Gardnerville, Nevada
Lemon-Pepper Tilapia with Mushrooms
My husband and I are trying to add more fish and healthy entrees to our diet and this one makes it easy. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, so it's perfect for hectic weeknights. —Donna McDonald, Lake Elsinore, California
Lemon-Roasted Chicken with Olive Couscous
If you can find preserved lemons, try them instead of the plain lemons for an even more authentic flavor in this North African-inspired recipe. —David Feder, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Lemony Turkey Breast
Lemon and a hint of garlic add a lovely touch to these moist slices of slow-cooked turkey breast. I usually serve the gravy over a combination of white and brown rice, along with broccoli for a healthy meal. —Lynn Laux of Ballwin, Missouri
Salmon with Dill Sauce & Lemon Risotto
I love the classic combination of lemon and fish, and this dish is delicious and easy to throw together at the end of a long day. —Amanda Reed, Nashville, Tennessee
Lemony Chicken & Rice
I couldn’t say who loves this recipe best, because it gets raves every time I serve it! Occasionally I even get a phone call or email from a friend requesting the recipe, and it's certainly a favorite for my grown children and 15 grandchildren. —Maryalice Wood, Langley, British Columbia
Lemony Greek Beef and Vegetables
I love the lemon in this recipe—the latest addition to my collection of quick, healthy dinners. I'm sensitive to cow's milk, so I use goat cheese crumbles on my portion instead of Parmesan. —Alice Neff, Lake Worth, Florida
Flavorful Lemon Chicken
This easy and attractive meal is bound to become a staple with your family. It's made with everyday ingredients, there's nothing complicated or fancy about this delicious recipe. —Elizabeth Hokanson, Arborg, Manitoba
Basil-Lemon Crab Linguine
I always add herbs to pasta to really punch up the flavor. This linguine looks and tastes like it's from a five-star restaurant. We love it. —Tonya Burkhard, Palm Coast, Florida
Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce
Once you've tried this tangy, yet delicate lemon chicken piccata, you won't hesitate to make it for company. Seasoned with parmesan and parsley, the chicken cooks up golden brown, then is drizzled with a light lemon sauce. —Susan Pursell, Fountain Valley, California
Tortellini with Asparagus & Lemon
This is a terrific warm-weather dish, loaded with fresh flavors. I make mine meatless, but some sliced grilled chicken on top would be awesome, too. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
Turkey Cutlets in Lemon Wine Sauce
After I ate something like this at a local Italian restaurant, I figured out how to make it at home for my family. Now I serve it a lot since it's so quick to make—and they're so happy I do. —Kathie Wilson, Warrenton, Virginia
Dad's Lemony Grilled Chicken
Lemon juice, onions and garlic add tangy flavor to chicken when firing up the grill. —Mike Schulz, Tawas City, Michigan
Artichoke & Lemon Pasta
While sailing in the Mediterranean, we tasted a lemony artichoke pasta. I developed my own version of it that our guests love. Try it with shrimp and kalamata olives. —Peter Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Rosemary-Lemon Chicken Thighs
A cooking show inspired me to create this lemony chicken. Ask your butcher to remove the bones from chicken thighs but leave the skin intact. —Jennifer Tidwell, Fair Oaks, California
Lemony Shrimp & Tomatoes
I created this recipe for my family because they love grilled shrimp. I love it because it's quick, delicious and good for us. —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida
Lemon-Butter Tilapia with Almonds
Sometimes I want a nice meal without a ton of effort or wait time. Thankfully, I have this lemony, buttery fish that's super fast and totally tasty. —Ramona Parris, Canton, Georgia
Lemon-Garlic Cream Fettuccine
I've been making this lemony pasta for the family for years. It's both simple and indulgent enough to make it a go-to recipe. —Anne Miller, Glenfield, New York
Parmesan Chicken with Lemon Rice
I like the challenge of inventing recipes with ingredients I have on hand. This easy-peasy meal fits the bill. —Colleen Doucette, Truro, Nova ScotiaThe post We Made Ina Garten’s Lemon Capellini—and It’s Her Absolute Best Weeknight Dinner appeared first on Taste of Home.
source https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/ina-garten-lemon-capellini/
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