Homemade Lemon Pasta With Butter & Pecans

Lemon flavor gets built right into the pasta dough itself here, not just tossed on top. Both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice go into the flour with eggs and olive oil, so every strand of noodle carries that bright, citrusy punch before it even meets the butter and pecans.

The dough comes together in a pasta machine, mixed until it forms pea-sized balls, then extruded into whatever shape you like. Fresh pasta cooks in a fraction of the time dried pasta does. One to two minutes in boiling water and you’re done.

The finish is beautifully simple: melted butter and pecans. The butter coats the warm noodles in richness, and the pecans add a toasty crunch that contrasts with the soft, tender pasta. Nothing else needed.

Chef Tips

• Use fresh lemon zest, not the bottled stuff. Fresh zest has essential oils that give the pasta a fragrant, floral lemon flavor that dried zest can’t replicate.
• Don’t overcook fresh pasta. It goes from al dente to mushy in seconds. Start tasting at one minute.
• Toast the pecans in a dry skillet before tossing them with the pasta. Raw pecans taste flat; toasted ones have a deeper, nuttier flavor that stands up to the lemon.
• Work quickly once the pasta is drained. Fresh noodles cool and stick together fast.

Variations

• Add shaved Parmesan and a crack of black pepper at the table for a richer finish.
• Swap pecans for toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds.
• Toss in fresh herbs like basil or thyme leaves with the butter for an herby twist.