This Lemon Caper Pasta with Butter Sauce perfectly balances fresh, light, and decadent. Think buttery smooth sauce that coats the pasta with fresh tangy lemon and salty capers. It is so delicious that it tastes like something fancy, but it is straightforward to make and needs just a few ingredients.
But I must say, this recipe is the best for a no-fuss tastebuds bonanza on those busy weeknights when you want something fast but hearty or that little sexy dinner with some cleaning up notwithstanding whatever meal you decide to make does not have to take a long time or be complicated. Why Lemon Caper Pasta with Butter Sauce is the next dish you need to try!
You’ll Love This
Busy cooks rejoice! This is a 20-minute real-food recipe for an easy, delicious meal.
Short shopping list. A few ingredients, when carefully chosen and delicious, are capable of fabulous flavor. Most are pantry staples, too.
Flexible flavor. Love briny capers? Pile more on your helping. Suspicious kids? One of Nog’s sandwiches includes pasta in a light lemon butter sauce, sans capers.
Ingredients & Common Substitutions
Spaghetti: Spaghetti or other pasta shape you have This would also be great with rotini or shells.
Fresh lemon: it is the building block of sauce and you want both juice AND zest. If you like, before slicing the lemon in half to juice it, use a microplane or a lemon zester for the zest of about 1 tsp.
Garlic: In here again, fresh is best.
Capers: A little green condiment that everyone is familiar with from chicken piccata, capers are the salty finisher that makes this dish special.
Dry White Wine: You can use either or a combination of the two. Chicken broth or stock also works, if you’re not concerned about keeping this vegetarian.
Butter and Olive Oil: Butter and Olive Oil Add a touch of each to add flavor without cloaking the sauce.
Some Fresh Parsley: The cutest little garnish to add as a pop of vivid green in the end. The onion can be either sweet or yellow varieties and often one of the parsley falls in curly (such as this recipe) or flat-leaf.
What are capers?
No, what we know as capers in a jar are the green, unripened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a prickly bush that flourishes over much of the Mediterranean and even wider into parts of Asia. You will often find them in Mediterranean cuisine.
After picking, the buds are dried and may be salt-cured or pickled in brine. That is why we associate the briny, tangy, earthy caper and even a little hint of floral undertones. Haha, this makes so much sense since they are flower buds after all.
How To Make Lemon Caper Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta in salty water, as rapidly boiling as possible. Spoon out 1/2 cup of the pasta water right before you tip away — this is the perfect liquid to use to thin or loosen the sauce out if needed.
Step 2: So let me show you in this step how to make our quick lemon caper sauce in a seared chicken pan. Melt butter, sauté garlic, and then add white wine or broth net of everything else. Let this mixture reduce just a little bit, then add the good stuff: one more tablespoon of butter, lemon zest and juice, and the capers.
Step 3: Your Classic One-Pot Spaghetti is Ready! Add the cooked pasta and it’s done. Mix well, then set aside for a minute so the pasta can absorb some of the sauce. It barely sticks to the pasta, clinging without pooling around it, if that makes any sense. If you think it needs a little loosen up, add a couple of spoons of pasta water.
Step 4: Garnish and serve! A sprinkling of lemon wedges and fresh parsley brings it all to life.
Top tips for the best lemon caper pasta
The pasta water: Pasta water is crucial for the caper lemon linguine, as the sauce of this pasta fuses mostly extra virgin olive oil with a hint of lemon. It does, as the pasta water itself is part of your sauce and can be used to loosen your sauce if it starts to dry out. So definitely save some water from the pasta!
The breadcrumbs: Is this easier to use store-bought breadcrumbs? It is, however, really easy to make yourself (and I highly recommend you do!) so why not give it a go? It will yield a much better texture and flavor!
The capers: Capers are salty by nature, so be sure to give them a quick rinse before adding to the salad. Capers, add some much-needed saltiness to this dish and I believe that they can be replaced quite easily (not the same flavor obviously) with olives or even anchovy.
Variations and Add-Ons
It felt rich w/out being heavy and I love that you can add your own Parmesan cheese to individual servings.
Love a little heat? Serve it with red pepper flakes sprinkled on top for a lovely twist.
Want more textural contrast? These are great with the garlicky breadcrumbs we use here with this spaghetti and mushrooms and oregano.
Craving more color? Add some halved broiled green olives, cherry tomatoes, or more herbs.
Serving Suggestions
Lemon Caper Pasta with Butter Sauce is an amazing light dish that goes well with so many different sides and accompaniments. Well do not fret, we have some great ways to complete your meal.
Vermilitious Knid: A light vinaigrette with a lemon or balsamic dressing on some crisp salad greens is perfect. The herbs help to lift the richness of the butter sauce.
Garlic Bread: Serve with warm garlic bread or crostini! It adds crunch and garlic flavor to the fantastic pasta.
Grilled vegetables: Some grilled or roasted veggies like zucchini, asparagus, or cherry tomato light up and add color to your meal.
Protein Additions:
Grilled Chicken: A plain ole grilled chicken baked or on the grill is a great lean meat to pop on top or off to the side.
Shrimp: I like the use of shrimp here- I have made this with grilled or sautéed shrimp and it was delicious and made for a heartier meal.
Salmon: A piece of pan-seared or baked salmon adds a rich, flaky texture and extra omega-3s to the meal.
Wine Pairing: Enjoy with a light, crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio to complement the zesty lemon and buttery sauce.
Garnish: Extra lemon zest, fresh parsley, or grated Parmesan (for flavor and a colorful finish)
Light Dessert: A light dessert like lemon sorbet, or fresh berries with whipped cream are a great way to round out this meal.
Storage & Reheating
Storing Leftovers:
Refrigeration: Store any leftover Lemon Caper Pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. The tortilla mix will be good for 3 days.
Freezer Instructions: The pasta CAN be frozen, but it is best to freeze the sauce and pasta separately. However, the pasta will have a bit of mush if frozen together. Store in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheating Instructions:
Stovetop Method:
Heat a pan on low to medium heat, then add the butter or olive oil if sticking.
Then add the reserved pasta, stir to combine, and just allow it to heat up.
The pasta should not be dry; if it starts looking like that, you can add a little water or chicken broth (or some of the reserved pasta water) to get the creamy sauce back.
Microwave Method:
Add pasta to a microwave oven and place a paper towel on top of it to keep moist.
Then, microwave for 30 seconds at a time on medium power, stirring occasionally until heated through.
If it seems a little dry add in a wee splash of water or broth which will create a lovely sauce.
Conclusion
Lemon Caper Pasta with Butter Sauce is a happy little pasta model that combines the most basic, fresh ingredients into one lively lunch. Bright tangy lemons and salty capers with rich butter sauce come together and coat the pasta creating a comforting yet light dish that is simple enough to make for an easy weeknight dinner but elegant enough to make when you are entertaining.
Great for beginners or intermediate home cooks, you can make it your own with that leftover chicken and any other ingredient in the pantry these days. It gives so much bang for your buck with very little effort, and we promise you will make it again!
FAQs
1. What Kind Of Pasta Can Be Used For This Recipe?
Yes! You can use any pasta you like, though if it were me I would go for long pasta (spaghetti or fettuccine) to soak up some of that luscious butter sauce. Short pastas like penne, or even farfalle would also be tasty but might have less sauce cling to them.
2. Is this dish written gluten-free?
Absolutely! Instead, trade regular pasta for your go-to brand of gluten-free. Cook according to the instructions on the packet as gluten-free pasta can have different cooking times.
3. Is this dairy-free or vegan?
Yes! To make it vegan, replace the butter with a plant-based one or olive oil. Or you can top it with a vegan cheese alternative, or skip the cheese.
4. How long is this good in the fridge?
This Lemon Caper Pasta with Butter Sauce may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
5. Is there a way to work some protein into the dish?
Definitely! Add grilled chicken, shrimp (or even seared salmon. ) For a vegetarian protein option, you can also add chickpeas or tofu.
6. If it is too tangy or salty, how can I balance the flavors?
If the lemon flavor is stronger than you like, a little more butter or simply cream will round out the acidity. Make sure not to use more capers than needed because they may become too salty so if overdone rinse them or reduce them a bit the amount.
7. Lemon caper pasta with butter sauce no cream?
Lemon Caper Pasta with Butter Sauce, No Cream The butter adds richness and the pasta water removes the need for cream giving a silky smooth sauce. The lemon juice, zest, and capers make the flavors bright and fresh, while the butter makes it silky. Delicate Light Cream-less French Cabbage Soup.
8. Pasta with capers and tomatoes?
Sure, you could easily have Pasta with Capers and Tomatoes. This is a phenomenal bright and light pasta that marries in the briny caper flavor with the sweetness of tomatoes. Okay, let’s get started just saute garlic with cherry tomatoes(or canned tomatoes) and capers on good quality olive oil. Add the cooked pasta to this sauce and toss well, then season with salt, pepper, and some fresh herbs like basil or parsley… A simple fresh and tasty lunch!
1 thought on “Butter sauce with lemon caper pasta”