Main meals · Italian
Lemon garlic butter and mushroom linguine
Mushroom linguine tossed with garlic butter, lemon, parsley, and toasted walnuts.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Yield
- 2 bowls
I make this when I want a buttery mushroom pasta with something bright at the end. I use walnuts for a bit of crunch and skip the cream.
Method
- Cook the linguine in salted water until just al dente. Save a mug of the pasta water before draining.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan, then set them aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan and brown the mushrooms over medium-high heat. Let their moisture cook off so they get some colour.
- Turn down the heat and soften the shallot. Add the butter, garlic, and thyme if using; cook gently for about a minute.
- Add the linguine and a splash of pasta water. Toss until the butter and water make a glossy sauce, adding more water as needed.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the lemon zest, a little lemon juice, parsley, and black pepper. Taste before adding more lemon or salt, then finish with the toasted walnuts.
Notes
The pasta water does the work of bringing the sauce together. I start with less lemon juice and add more at the end. Use egg-free linguine if you want this without eggs.