Creamy Dill Pasta (Printable)

Velvety pasta with fresh dill, zesty lemon, and rich cream sauce for a refreshing main course.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (fettuccine, linguine, or penne)
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream
07 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1½ oz grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

→ Optional Additions

13 - 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
14 - 5 oz smoked salmon, flaked (omit for vegetarian)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and lemon zest; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
04 - Add Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Stir until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
05 - Add drained pasta to skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve silky texture.
06 - Stir in chopped dill and peas if using. Toss until combined and heated through.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve immediately, garnished with extra dill and smoked salmon if preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in 25 minutes, which means you can make this on a random weeknight without any stress.
  • The cream sauce comes together so smoothly you'll wonder why you ever bought jarred pesto.
  • Fresh dill and lemon make it feel elegant without requiring any fancy technique or special skills.
02 -
  • That reserved pasta water is liquid gold—the starch in it helps the sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom, so don't skip it.
  • Fresh dill turns dark and loses its brightness if you add it too early or heat it too long, so always stir it in right at the end.
03 -
  • Use a zester or the fine side of a box grater for the lemon zest—microplane zests are nice but not necessary, and a regular grater works just fine.
  • If you don't have fresh dill on hand, this dish will still be good, but fresh dill is what makes it special, so buy it specifically for this recipe.
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