Make Ahead

Nigella Lawson's Linguine Pasta with Lemon, Garlic & Thyme Mushrooms

March 21, 2021
4.5
17 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

This is a pasta that doesn't expect hand-eye coordination or time management. It's just as happy being served hot, warm, even cold. And all you have to do -- other than boiling pasta -- is put items in a bowl and stir. In other words, it's what you serve when you want to throw a dinner party and come across and blithely, gloriously relaxed as Nigella Lawson always does. She says this is one of her proudest creations. But it's also a pasta that you can happily cook alone, and eat alone until you can't eat any more. Then pack up whatever's left -- for lunch, or tomorrow's dinner, or Saturday's picnic, or a cold midnight snack. Adapted slightly from Nigella Express (Hyperion, 2007). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 cups (8 ounces) finely sliced cremini or button mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Maldon or kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme stripped to give 1 teaspoon leaves
  • 1 pound linguine or other pasta shape
  • 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped, to give 1/2 cup
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, to taste (up to 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Slice the mushrooms finely, and put them into a large bowl with the oil, salt, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and gorgeously scented thyme leaves.
  2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain loosely retaining some water. Quickly put the pasta into the bowl with the mushroom mixture.
  3. Toss everything together well, and then add the parsley, cheese, and pepper before tossing again. Eat with joy in your heart.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Laura Ratliff
    Laura Ratliff
  • Gina Lenzi Oster
    Gina Lenzi Oster
  • Marissa Seto
    Marissa Seto
  • Johnson Chong
    Johnson Chong
  • Donna Hayes
    Donna Hayes
Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

63 Reviews

NolaRealtor June 22, 2023
This was so good even by picky husband and 4 year old loved it!! So easy and simple to make. Thank you!
 
kathy C. September 7, 2022
I've been making this for years and it's wonderful every time - just go easy on the salt and careful of the huge lemons!!
 
Iris July 25, 2021
This dish is quick and simple, yet versatile - it can be made on a whim (dried herbs, anyone?) or with a tiny bit of forethought (give me those fresh herbs!) and makes it on the menu every month or so for the past 4 years. I had a friend remake it a times but with lackluster results so I noted a number of things:

- Do not skimp on the salt and make sure that pasta water is well salted. Also, make a note of what kind of salt you have and pay attention to the numbers on your measuring spoon; sea salt is definitely saltier (I found out the hard way).
- Fresh ingredients/herbs are better but I have successfully used only dry herbs a number of times. Slightly less aromatic but still delicious.
- I cook my mushrooms before adding to the marinade. I often add wilted spinach as well for more veggies. Make sure not to make too much for the amount of marinade you have, or increase the ingredients for the marinade accordingly.
- Easily vegan without cheese - or sub in vegan cheese.
- In theory, it’s easy to double the recipe but I had trouble getting all the pasta evenly seasoned, so I prefer not to for optimal taste.
- I buy the same size lemon from a specific market to get the same taste every time. I once tried another lemon from a different source and ugh. Find that perfect lemon for you and stick with it.
 
Joan D. March 21, 2021
Pre-COVID, I made this several times; it's the perfect dish for a pot-luck as it is absolutely delicious and can be served at any temperature. (If serving several hours after making it, grate some fresh lemon zest on the top before the final "toss".) I'm looking forward to a post-COVID potluck so I can make this again. If you hear yourself saying "just make it, already, don't wait for a potluck" - you mirror the foodie sitting on my shoulder. I resist the temptation because I'm inclined to devour this dish straight from the mixing bowl; no waiting, no taking to the neighbors, no taking some to a friend and leaving it on the doorstep!
 
Laura R. May 26, 2019
I always go back to this recipe — which is surprising, given how rarely I like to repeat dishes. But this is a never-fail that I love to make as written, especially when having company over as the header text suggests. It's really an awesome dish.
 
icharmeat May 21, 2019
i made this tonight and it was pretty darn good. Actually, is was quite delightful and also quite versatile as it can be a hot pasta, a cold pasta salad or anywhere in between plus you can riff on it a bit by adding complementary ingredients (asparagus was mentioned at the table as was our home-canned albacore belly) and still keep the dish quite true.
Pasta like this is a bit out of my wheelhouse so I bucked tradition and actually followed the recipe except used gemelli, as the only strands that I had were capellini and the rotary cheese grater still had pecorino romano loaded in it so i went with that flow. I think i used more than 8 oz crimini mushrooms but i sliced them very thin so that they would at least reach an elevated temp when mixed with the pasta- i think the dish could benefit from more mushrooms if you are slicing very thin (not shaved, but pretty thin- certainly no thicker than the ones in the picture). I think it could take more cheese as well. I've never had a good grasp of measuring grated cheese by volume (a target weight would be really nice for the times i actually try and make a recipe as written). I use a rotary drum grater made for parm and romano that makes very thin curls of cheese when the cheese is of cut-from-the-wheel moisture. i put in about a 1/3 cup of this cheese (lightly pressed into the cup) and i think it could use more.

Ironically, Ovo/lacto pescetarian daughter was the only one in the family that didn't find the recipe to her liking- "too lemony". Boohoo, next time i'll use sausage instead of lemon (joking). She was the reason that I prepared the dish in the first place.

p.s. i also put in more black pepper than "a pinch"- probably 20 twists from a peugeot set on middle setting- 3/8 tsp - scant 1/2 tsp.
 
2tattered March 21, 2021
Lol - ‘Boohoo’ indeed. Thanks for the laugh!
 
Tamara D. March 24, 2021
Nigella makes a recipe similar to this one that I've used for years. It's her Lemon Linguine. It's almost carbon copy of this recipe except in the one I use, she uses egg yolks, cream and butter, which I think balances out the lemon so deliciously. In fact, since learning this recipe, I ALWAYS add egg yolk and butter to pasta before mixing it with anything else. It's not as low-fat as this recipe, obviously. But honestly, I don't care. It's pasta. Just exercise more ;)

Anyway, the details in her words:

In a bowl, add the yolks, cream, Parmesan, zest of the whole lemon and juice of half of it, the salt and good grind of pepper, and beat with a fork. You don't want it fluffy, just combined. Taste. If you want it more lemony, then of course add more juice. As soon as the pasta looks ready, remove a cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta, and then, off the heat, toss it back in the pot or put it in an efficiently preheated bowl, throw in the butter, and stir and swirl about to make sure the butter's melted and the pasta covered by it all over. Each strand will be only mutely gleaming, as there's not much butter and quite a bit of pasta. If you want to add more, then do; good butter is the best flavoring, best texture, best mood enhancer there is.

When you're satisfied the pasta's covered with its soft slip of butter, then stir in the egg mixture and turn the pasta well in it, adding some of the cooking liquid if it looks a bit dry (only 2 tablespoons or so - you don't want a wet mess - and only after you think the sauce is incorporated). Sprinkle over the parsley [and the other stuff in the recipe on this page] and serve now, now, now.

***

HEAVEN
 
Tamara D. March 24, 2021
Oh and to be clear... that's 2 eggs, 2/3 c heavy cream, 1 lemon, zested and juiced (plus more juice if needed), 4 tbs (1/2 stick) of butter.
 
Rosalyn M. May 20, 2019
Made this exactly as written. Excellent - love that you don't have to cook anything except the pasta. Will make again and again!
 
Gina L. May 8, 2019
Thank you Nigella for this perfect dish. It has become part of the rotation in our household. Fast and homemade. Perfect as is or adapted. I like to add fresh herbs, greens, veggies or sometimes chicken.
 
MikNik April 14, 2019
I'm not a fan of raw mushrooms, but I make this pretty much as written and I think it is perfect. Made it last night for a dinner party and people wanted the recipe.
 
Yvonne January 26, 2019
I made this today. I did cook the mushrooms some because I'm sensitive to raw nightshade. I added some asparagus too because I needed to use it up. And extra cheese because I can. Loved this and I'm sure it tastes just as good with raw mushrooms and no asparagus.
 
2tattered March 21, 2021
‘Nightshade’ = tomato, potato, eggplant etc., but not mushrooms.
 
Marissa S. January 20, 2019
OBSESSED with this pasta. The only thing we did really differently was to slightly heat the cremini mushrooms in a skillet to get the raw taste out. Don't overcook, just heat them enough so they don't all look dry and raw (no oil necessary in the pan). Add to the bowl, mix everything up with hot pasta noodles and then toss with a lot of good quality freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Made this 3 times in the last month. Sooooooooo good.
 
Tinab99 January 2, 2019
I am addicted to this delicious but so simple to prepare pasta. Use Cremini mushrooms for more pronounced flavor. I’ve never had the parsley on hand to make it and still loved it.
 
michelle October 30, 2018
Love, love, love this. I added some sliced grilled chicken because we had unexpected guests and i needed to stretch it. It’s really good either way.
 
mungo October 14, 2018
Just made this again, and it's so delicious and easy. Just the thing for when you're feeling in a bit of a rut with food/cooking. I usually make adjustments to the ingredients based on what I have on hand, and it always comes out well. But anyone who is cooking the mushrooms is sort of missing the point.
 
Sydney August 27, 2018
I made this for dinner the other night, substituting thyme for fresh basil. It was a huge hit, especially with my mother. I think next time I won't add parsley though, because I don't like the texture. I absolutely recommend this recipe!
 
shortnsweet May 26, 2017
halved this, and it worked great. i also used baby bellas--i sauteed them with the garlic in the oil, then mixed them with the lemon juice, zest and oregano before adding the pasta. i also transferred the pasta to the bowl with tongs to make sure i got some pasta water in there--with the oil it made a lovely sauce. next time i'll try it with the mushrooms raw, but it seems like it will be delicious either way.
 
John O. October 28, 2016
Don't change a thing when you make this! It's perfect as is and the flavors are simple and clean. Thanks Nigella!
 
Johnson C. October 25, 2016
A modest dish where the ingredients blend exceptionally well. Aroma from the herbs fills my mouth and lingers after finishing. The garlic gives a little sparkling spiciness to it. As with other Food52er here, I put the mushroom in the pan with olive oil to cook it a little first before tossing.
 
Donna H. September 13, 2016
I love how people say how great the recipe is "after" they change it completely...
 
Rhonda35 September 13, 2016
Even better is when they complain about it after changing things completely!
 
Ned August 13, 2016
I followed the recipe. Delicious. Not too lemony at all. I might add some toasted pine nuts next time.
 
Wes May 28, 2016
I made this a couple of weeks ago and used soba noodles since I served it as soon as it was done so it was room temperature. Making it again tonight!
 
pattyrat November 30, 2015
Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. I see others chose to cook the mushrooms first, but to me, the "genius" of the recipe is that you don't have to cook them. It was delicious! I'll be making this again.
 
Chef D. November 25, 2015
The pasta in the pic looks epic!
 
Cheryl September 8, 2015
Cheryl - It was great I made it for my daughters boyfriend he loves mushrooms my daughter doesn't then I added Caribbean style Adobo it contains toasted onion, garlic, sea salt, Mexican oregano, black pepper, and chiles. All those ingredients come in a savory package, Then topped with a little Havarti cheese for a butter taste. Cheryl
 
kasia S. April 20, 2017
That's a completely different recipe...
 
Robin August 12, 2015
Made this last night exactly according to the recipe although I used a small lemon to address the "too lemony" concerns from other reviews. Also sliced the mushrooms as thinly as possible. Wonderful! This is moving into my pasta rotation. May add shrimp next time and play with other herbs.
 
saluki August 10, 2015
I sauteed the mushrooms in a little bit of butter before marinating..... they were delicious. Great recipe....
 
cindy April 2, 2015
Sauteed the mushrooms, garlic and added a head of chopped broccoli in the butter and oil. Added 1/2 lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme and salt. Then added 12 oz of spinach pasta, parsley, parmesan and pepper - HEAVEN.
 
Transcendancing March 30, 2015
Fried the mushrooms but otherwise made as directed and it was delicious - will definitely make again. I do love fresh and light tasting pastas for the in-between weather.
 
nola2chi March 24, 2015
mmmmmm
 
Alejandra P. December 22, 2014
I did as StephabieRD did. I put all sauce ingredients together, added some butter and sautéed it in my wok on low heat for a few minutes just before the pasta was done. It was delicious. Will do it again
 
Alejandra P. December 22, 2014
I also used less salt than recommended.
 
Alejandra P. December 22, 2014
And I used portobello mushrooms
 
Suji L. September 28, 2014
I used Baby Bella mushrooms, left out the thyme, substituted cilantro for parsley, and -- changes made based on what I already had on hand -- the results were still pretty darn decent. I imagine the result would have been even better had I used all the called-for ingredients. I definitely added the lemon juice to taste since all the commenters before warned that the recipe definitely called for too much.
 
Jennifer July 31, 2014
I roasted the mushrooms before adding and halved the lemon juice. It was delicious!
 
Maddie A. July 23, 2014
Perfect, as usual, plus super easy too. Thanks!
 
Joanna May 20, 2014
Absolutely fantastic taste and virtually zero prep work. Reserving some of the pasta water (less than you'd think) creates a delicious broth that works. Yes to less salt and less lemon and plenty of pepper and thyme.
 
BONGO March 31, 2014
This is truly a fantastic recipe to make over & over when you don't feel like "real" cooking and still want to eat something delicious. Because it is delicious - lemony, yes, raw, yes, but delicious, I insist. I used only two teaspoons of kosher salt (well, sale di Trapani exactly) and good linguine I brought back from Italy too, it was just perfect. Don't overdrain your pasta to keep the whole thing wet & slippery, that's my only advice (and yes, a little less salt - let's say a third). Otherwise, this is really fantastic. God Bless Nigella.
 
LIZZANNE January 22, 2014
I would like to try this but it seems that if would be quite dry?
 
Nora D. January 10, 2014
This was my first recipe from Food52, as I love anything Lemony. I so not like mushrooms, but told myself to give the recipe a try....New Year, New me. I decided to saute them in my wok, tossed in the linguine and added capers and voila! It was very delicious.
 
mainecoon January 10, 2014
The dish improves dramatically overnight. The lemon juice must "cook" the mushrooms. But the salt! oh my...much too much.
 
Diane January 17, 2014
This is good to know. I tried this about a year ago and was disappointed, despite being in love with pretty much every ingredient. Perhaps I'll try it again.
 
Windischgirl October 5, 2013
This was a quick and tasty dinner for my vegetarian daughter and me. It WAS very lemony, but benefited from a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top. I used white mushrooms, as that's what was handy, and they did soften in the dressing; I think what helped was using older mushrooms and slicing them very thinly. A freshly grated dusting of parmesan is essential. Yum!
 
Kwelicakes September 1, 2013
I LOVE yam! I'm going to try that soon, Daniel.
 
daniel September 1, 2013
yam !
 
Rhonda35 August 25, 2013
Made this over the weekend - we loved it! I'm not sure why the raw mushroom haters even tried the recipe; however I thought I'd suggest, instead of sauteing, tossing the mushrooms into the hot pasta water for the last 30 seconds of the pasta cooking time. Less heat in the kitchen and less clean up, too.
 
stephanieRD August 25, 2013
I just made this and I, like another Food52er below, also don't like raw mushrooms and much rather prefer that they're cooked. So, after having put the mushroom batch together, I decided to sauté them a little to my liking without ruining the lemony flavor. Added a little dollop of butter for richness (just some Smart Balance), and it was very good. I would make it again but I think next time I would add some shrimp. It's tasty but it seems like it's missing something.
 
Monica R. August 22, 2013
This was delish and simple! I sliced the mushrooms super thin, used dried thyme and added just a bit of lemon juice rather than the whole amount (you never can tell and you can always add more later.) So simple! Probably a little too salty, so I'll reduce that in the future.
 
Kwelicakes August 18, 2013
I am eating this dish. I am enjoying it beyond words! For once ... in my personal history ... I did it exactly as written, without adding or subtracting and ... sniff! ... sniff! having read the ENTIRE recipe first. I will make this again.
 
favabean August 18, 2013
Made this last night. We really liked it. This is one of those dishes that calls out for a hot, balmy night when you want nourishment without having to endure a hot stove. I could see how the lemon might be a bit overpowering for some. I increased the amount of mushrooms and cut down the amount of pasta to 3/4 lb. I prefer a wet sauce; not one that barely coats the pasta. Next time I make it, I might add some anchovy paste to offset the lemon.
 
carswell August 17, 2013
I made this last night and was disappointed. I liked the overall flavour profile - but the texture of the mushrooms was nothing like cooked - and I let them rest in the marinade for upwards of an hour. That ruined it for me as I don't care for raw mushrooms.

I would make it again - but I'd saute the mushrooms.
 
plainhomecook August 16, 2013
Knightcraft, they were grown by friends who have been doing this for years and have promised to share their expertise.
 
Knightcraft August 16, 2013
Ah, the best kind of friends!
 
Knightcraft August 16, 2013
plainhomecook, you need to post a picture of your home grown shiitake mushrooms! That's pretty impressive!
 
plainhomecook August 16, 2013
Oh, thanks for the tip Knightcraft, I will look out for that when I cook from their recipes again.
 
Knightcraft August 16, 2013
There are a few people with a high tolerance for lemon. Nigella Lawson and Giada DeLaurentis are two of them. This has WAY too much lemon for my taste, but once you cut down on it... it is an amazing dish! You just have to love Nigella!
 
plainhomecook August 15, 2013
Yes, very easy to make. But I was disappointed. I tasted nothing but lemon - it completely overwhelmed the taste of the extra garlic I added, not to mention the beautiful home-grown shiitakes I put in. Will try again with just the zest.
 
Rhonda35 August 15, 2013
This is right up my alley! I can't wait to try it. Thanks Food52 and Nigella!