Creamy Dill Lemon Pasta (Printable)

Light pasta tossed in creamy dill sauce brightened by lemon and Parmesan cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (fettuccine, linguine, or penne)
02 - Salt (for pasta water and seasoning)

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream
07 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1½ oz grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

→ Optional Additions

13 - 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
14 - 150 g smoked salmon, flaked (omit for vegetarian)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain thoroughly.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and lemon zest; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
04 - Add Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Stir continuously until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water gradually to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
06 - Stir in chopped dill and peas if using. Toss until well combined and heated through.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra dill and smoked salmon if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Ready in 25 minutes but tastes like you've been cooking all afternoon.
  • The lemon keeps everything fresh instead of heavy, even with all that cream.
  • Dill is the secret that makes people ask what they're tasting before they realize it's just herbs.
02 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining—that starchy liquid is your secret tool for making the sauce silky and helping it cling to the pasta.
  • Don't let the cream boil hard or it can split and look curdled; keep the heat medium and let it do its thing gently.
  • Add fresh dill at the very end; cooking it longer than a minute kills its bright flavor and turns it dark and sad.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you cut it in half to juice—it's easier to zest a whole lemon than a squeezed one.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks oily, whisk in a splash of cold pasta water or cream and it usually comes back together.
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