We Made Ina Garten’s Lemon Capellini—and It’s Her Absolute Best Weeknight Dinner

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We love Ina Garten’s recipes because she uses simple and seasonal ingredients. Her lemon capellini is no different! In fact, this recipe might be Barefoot Contessa’s best quick and easy dinner ever.

This dish comes together with ultra-thin pasta, butter and the zest and juice from a couple of lemons. Ina uses capellini, also known as angel hair. It pairs best with a light sauce, making it perfect for this 3-ingredient dish.

Ina Garten’s Lemon Capellini Recipe

This light pasta recipe cooks quickly, so pull everything out beforehand. This is called mise en place, or “everything in its place.” Ina has more cooking tips where that came from!

Want to cook like the Barefoot Contessa? You need Ina Garten’s kitchen essentials!

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried capellini
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• Zest and juice from 2 large lemons
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Step 1: Zest and juice lemons

Start by zesting, then juicing the lemons and setting each aside. I used a Microplane, but there’s more than one way to zest a lemon.

Step 2: Cook pasta

Cook the capellini or angel hair pasta for about three to four minutes, until just al dente. This pasta is super delicate and will fall apart or mush together if it gets overcooked. You’ll also be tossing it with the sauce, so it will continue to cook.

Step 3: Make lemon sauce

To make the butter lemon sauce, start by heating a saute pan over medium heat. Add sticks of butter and let melt. Once melted, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then turn the heat to low.

Step 4: Transfer pasta to sauce

As soon as the pasta is done cooking, lift it out of the water with a pasta spoon and transfer it to the skillet with the sauce. Toss together, adding reserved pasta water to keep the pasta moist.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t be afraid to add the pasta water! It’s a secret ingredient that adds a rich silkiness to the sauce and acts as a thickening agent.

Step 5: Serve

Portion the lemon capellini into six servings and serve warm. Garnish with additional lemon zest, salt, pepper or fresh herbs. I like garnishing with fresh parsley, but basil would be delicious too!

If you love this recipe, here’s a classic Ina Garten weeknight bolognese to try.

How to Make This Recipe Your Own

While Ina Garten’s lemon capellini recipe is fantastic as-is, there are a few ways to make it your own:

• Add protein: Serve with grilled chicken to make it a hearty meal. Prefer seafood? Top with scallops, roasted salmon or sauteed shrimp.
• Toss in alliums: Saute garlic or shallots with the melted butter and lemon to add extra flavor.
• Use seasonal vegetables: Toss in roasted vegetables or turn it into a seasonal angel hair primavera.

Hungry for more? Next, try these Ina Garten’s lasagna and shrimp scampi recipes.

Here’s What We Thought

This lemon capellini recipe is a total winner in my book! I’ll be serving this light meal all summer long.

The thin noodles tossed with lemony butter practically melt in your mouth. I love the versatility of adding protein to beef up the dish or leaving it as-is for a quick but elevated comfort food.