Description
Bright, creamy, and nutty — this elegant pasta dish combines zesty lemon, fresh basil, rich burrata, and toasted pine nuts for a restaurant-quality meal in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pasta water (reserved)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 8 oz burrata cheese, torn
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts until golden and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice, then pour in heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low. Whisk in Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet, tossing to coat in the sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach a silky consistency.
- Remove from heat and gently fold in chopped basil and half of the toasted pine nuts.
- Serve immediately, topping each portion with torn burrata, remaining pine nuts, and extra basil leaves.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste. For a lighter version, replace cream with half-and-half or use vegetable broth, and reduce Parmesan slightly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Method: Main
- Cuisine: Italian