Pasta with Lemon-Marjoram Sauce (Maccheroni con Aglio e Maggiorana)

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried pasta, such as maccheroni
• 0.333 cup fresh marjoram leaves (Chopped; oregano may be substituted, though it has a stronger, more savory flavor. A 0.5- to 0.75-ounce clamshell should yield about ⅓ cup chopped.)
• 0.333 cup fresh parsley leaves (Chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (Finely chopped or crushed)
• 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (Freshly squeezed)
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (From an unwaxed lemon, if possible)
• 2 oz Parmesan cheese (Finely grated, plus more for serving if desired)
• kosher salt (For seasoning and pasta water, to taste)
• 0.25 cup reserved pasta cooking water (Reserve additional water only if needed, adding 1 tablespoon at a time)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely chop the marjoram and parsley and crush or finely chop the garlic. Grate the Parmesan and zest and juice the lemon.

2. 2

   Place the herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and stir to combine. Begin this mixture as soon as you start heating the pasta water so the garlic can steep in the lemon juice and mellow.

3. 3

   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente, stirring occasionally so the noodles do not stick.

4. 4

   Before draining, reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta thoroughly, but do not rinse it; the pasta should remain steaming hot.

5. 5

   Add the hot drained pasta to the bowl with the herb-and-garlic mixture. Pour in the reserved ¼ cup pasta water and toss vigorously with tongs until the noodles are glossy and evenly coated.

6. 6

   Add the grated Parmesan and continue tossing until the cheese melts into the sauce. If the pasta is not silky enough, add more cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, using restraint so the sauce does not become watery.

7. 7

   Taste and adjust the salt and lemon as needed. Serve immediately, with additional grated Parmesan if desired.

Notes

The accessible source excerpt does not include the complete ingredient list or exact quantities because the recipe is member-gated. Quantities above are informed estimates based on the dish description and standard proportions, not a verbatim extraction. The author's key tip is to combine the sauce ingredients while the pasta water heats and to begin with only ¼ cup reserved pasta water.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian
• vegetarian
• no-cook sauce
• quick meal
• lemon
• fresh herbs