Lemon Butter Pasta With Chiles Recipe

With all the types of pasta in the world to choose from, it can be difficult narrowing down which recipe you'd like to whip up for a meal. Some pasta dishes, like lasagna, are a little more involved and time-consuming. Others, like buttered noodles or macaroni and cheese, are quite simple to prepare when you don't have much time to spend in the kitchen. But we can all agree that, no matter how complex or simple the pasta dish, they're all equally delicious.

When it comes to landing on a go-to pasta recipe, there are a few factors to look out for. You want the dish to be relatively simple, only requiring a handful of ingredients to make. Flavor is key, and there's no better way to achieve amazing flavor than through spice. Recipe developer and private practice registered dietician Kristen Carli's lemon butter pasta with chiles accomplishes both things. It's a simple recipe with few ingredients, and the spice really helps tie the whole dish together. Carli describes the flavor of this dish as being "buttery, savory, cheesy, with a touch of heat," and when it comes to pasta, it doesn't get much better than that! 

If you're looking to switch up your typical pasta dish or want to add a little bit of heat, this lemon butter pasta with chiles is exactly what you're looking for. Keep reading to learn all the details and, most importantly, how you can make it yourself.

Before you get started making lemon butter pasta with chiles, you'll need to gather the proper ingredients. Fortunately, this recipe is pretty simple and only requires six ingredients. You'll need pasta shells, unsalted butter, lemon juice, white wine, a chile de árbol, and grated Parmesan cheese. Carli notes that you can use other types of pasta, such as bowtie or elbow, though she likes using kinds that are easy to scoop up. Also, you don't have to be picky about what kind of white wine you use — any kind will suffice for this recipe!

The first step in cooking lemon butter pasta with chiles is pretty similar to cooking any other pasta dish. Start by cooking the pasta itself first! You're going to bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it's boiling, add in your pasta, and cook it according to the package directions. You may also want to toss in a little bit of salt to keep the pasta shells from sticking to one another. Since the pasta will take about 10 minutes to cook, you can get going on the other steps as it cooks, just be sure to keep an eye on it. As soon as the pasta is done cooking, drain the water, and set it aside.

While the pasta itself cooks, you can start working on your sauce. Grab a small saucepan, and put the butter, lemon juice, and white wine inside of it. Bring these ingredients to a boil, and then lower the mixture to a simmer. Go ahead and cook this mixture for about a minute. You'll notice the buttery, lemony aroma start to fill the air — it's just a little sneak peak of how incredible your pasta will taste.

After your lemon juice, butter, and white wine mixture has cooked on its own, you can add in the chile de árbol. You'll want to make sure that the chile is finely sliced before you add it into the lemon butter sauce. There aren't any other seasonings or spices in this recipe, and there's a good reason for it! Without the addition of other spices, the chile de árbol can really speak for itself, adding a wonderful depth of flavor to the pasta sauce without being overly spicy. Allow the chile to simmer and cook in the lemon butter sauce for about two minutes, which is just enough time for the spice to absorb.

Once your sauce is done cooking, you can remove it from the heat, and add the Parmesan cheese. Pour these ingredients over the pasta, and then give it a good stir. Finally, you're ready to enjoy! According to Carli, "I recommend serving this with roasted vegetables and a side salad," although you can easily enjoy it all on its own. The savory taste of butter and Parmesan mixed with the acid from the lemon and the spice from the chile will tingle your tastebuds in the best way possible.

If you have leftovers, you're in luck. Simply store the pasta in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to five days. With its simple ingredients and quick preparation, this lemon butter pasta with chiles may just become your new go-to dinner recipe after a busy day!