• Prep the ingredients and make sure you have everything ready to go before you start cooking: Finely chop the garlic and fresh parsley. Use a micro plane grater to grate the lemon zest. Only grate the vibrant, yellow outer layer of the lemon and avoid the white pith, as it can make the sauce bitter. Then, squeeze out the fresh lemon juice.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, let the butter melt slowly until it turns frothy. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until it becomes fragrant, but don’t let it brown, as this can release a bitter flavor. Next, add the lemon zest and gradually pour in the lemon juice. Using a whisk, stir vigorously to emulsify the sauce. As you whisk, you’ll notice that the sauce starts to come together into a smooth, cohesive mixture.
• Once you have successfully emulsified the butter and lemon juice, add the cream. Reduce the heat to low, and then gradually add the Parmesan cheese in small portions, stirring continuously. Sprinkle a bit, stir until it’s fully melted, and then add more. This gradual process helps ensure a smooth and uniform sauce and prevents the cheese from getting stringy. Don’t rush the process. It’s better to take a bit more time and have a velvety sauce than to rush and end up with a clumpy one. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt, as the parmesan cheese already adds a lot of salinity to the sauce.
• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook the pappardelle for about 2 minutes, or according to package instructions if you use dried pasta. As soon as the pasta is “al dente”, drain it with a pasta spider and transfer it directly to the skillet with the sauce. Toss and stir until the pasta strands are evenly coated with sauce.
• Serve the Pappardelle al Limone immediately. If the pasta sits out for too long before serving, the sauce can thicken and lose some of its silky consistency. Sprinkle it with finely chopped parsley and some extra lemon zest if you want to intensify the citrusy flavors. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Since this recipe only includes a few basic ingredients, it’s essential to use fresh, high-quality ingredients, especially when it comes to the lemon and cheese.
• When cooking the sauce, keep the heat on low to medium. High heat can cause the cream to separate or the sauce to curdle. Stir continually to emulsify the sauce.
• If the sauce becomes too thick, you can thin it out with a splash of pasta water. If it’s too thin, let it gently simmer for a few minutes to slightly thicken.
• Grate the Parmesan fresh before making the sauce. Pre-grated cheese may contain anti-caking agents that can affect the texture of the sauce and prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
• If you want a milder garlic flavor, strain the minced garlic from the sauce after it has flavored the butter but before adding the cream.